Milestone · Agriculture & Food Systems

Grow Indigo makes first direct carbon payouts to farmers

By Startup Enthusiast · 14 September 2026

What they do

About 2,500 farmers across Punjab and Haryana received these amounts

The initiative involved over 57,000 carbon credits accumulated between 2019 and 2022

Grow Indigo absorbed the market risk by advancing internal cash before selling the underlying units across international registries

Grow Indigo issued direct payouts to farmers for agricultural carbon credits, marking a first in the country.
The firm disbursed between ₹3,000 and ₹15,000 to each recipient.
About 2,500 farmers across Punjab and Haryana received these amounts.
The initiative involved over 57,000 carbon credits accumulated between 2019 and 2022.
Grow Indigo covered the disbursements from internal reserves because the units remain partly unsold.
An international auditor validated the initiative under the Verra protocol.

Growers held an original contractual claim to 75% of net proceeds from future credit transactions.
Grow Indigo presented an early settled amount, and most growers selected the guaranteed payment over market uncertainty.
Grow Indigo will secure a margin if market values climb higher, but it faces losses if prices drop below payout levels.

Grow Indigo operates as a joint venture backed by Mahyco and American firm Indigo Ag.
The platform incentivizes direct seeded rice, an alternative to conventional transplanting that preserves up to 1.4 million liters of water per hectare.
It also supports low-tillage residue management to enrich soil nutrients and discourage crop residue burning.
The initial pool of credits spanned approximately 30,000 acres of land.
The venture aims to expand its operational coverage to one million acres.

Product: Sustainable farming solutions including seed treatment, soil supplements, and crop protection products
Customers: Smallholder farmers seeking sustainable income and improved soil health
How it makes money: Carbon credit marketplace with advisory services and product sales
What sets it apart: Robust measurement, reporting, and verification systems enabling farmers to earn from carbon credits