Startup Helps 200,000 Farmers Earn from Healthy Soil

For decades, India's small farmers have watched their soil lose fertility while their profits shrink. Now a startup called Varaha has found a way to turn that struggling soil into a new source of income.

The company, launched in 2022, helps farmers adopt practices that restore soil health and trap carbon from the atmosphere. In return, farmers earn money from carbon credits purchased by tech giants like Google and Microsoft to offset their emissions.

More than 200,000 farmers across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Côte d'Ivoire now participate in the program. Over 100,000 of them are already earning additional income from their very first year, even as their soil gradually recovers.

The idea started with a frustrating gap. Co-founder Ankita Garg spent years at agricultural companies watching Indian smallholder farmers struggle with unpredictable weather and rising costs. Her co-founder Madhur Jain worked on digital tools for millions of farmers, while Vishal Kuchanur brought the tech expertise to scale solutions across vast farming regions.

Together they realized that healthy soil naturally absorbs carbon, but India's 150 million smallholder farmers had no way to benefit financially from this environmental good. Their farms were too small and scattered to access carbon markets alone.

Varaha built the bridge. Field teams visit villages to explain the program face to face, building trust one conversation at a time. Once farmers sign up, their land gets mapped using a mobile app designed to work even with weak internet connections.

After a soil assessment, Varaha recommends specific changes like reduced plowing, adding biochar, or planting trees. The company provides whatever farmers need to make the switch, whether that's saplings, soil amendments, or equipment.

The Ripple Effect

The model creates wins that compound over time. Farmers start earning carbon credit income immediately while their soil gradually becomes more fertile. Better soil means stronger crops and higher yields within five years, even as climate change makes weather more unpredictable.

The name Varaha comes from Hindu mythology, where Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar to rescue Earth from cosmic waters and restore it. For the founders, it captures their mission of helping farmers restore degraded land while building stronger livelihoods.

What started as three people recognizing a gap has become a lifeline for 200,000 farming families who no longer have to choose between their land's health and their own financial survival.