Sow&Reap Agro, a Hyderabad-based climate-tech startup, has set a new benchmark in India’s sustainability journey by becoming the first Indian company to earn Gold Standard-certified carbon credits for paddy cultivation. The company was awarded 37,405 carbon credits under its flagship project VARRI, implemented in partnership with Kosher Climate.

The three-year initiative engaged 35,000 farmers across eight districts in Telangana—Jagitial, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Nagar Kurnool, Narayanpet, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla, and Wanaparthy—spanning nearly 100,000 acres of farmland. By adopting the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method, the program demonstrated substantial benefits, including increased yields, reduced water consumption, lower fertilizer usage, and measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking on the achievement, Suraj Teja, Founder & CEO of Sow&Reap, said: “This milestone is a testament to the collective efforts of our farmers, partners, and the Agriculture Department, Government of Telangana, who played a vital role in raising awareness about AWD. By combining sustainable agricultural practices with our blockchain-powered DMRV (Digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) platform, we are not only tackling emissions but also opening up new income opportunities for farmers through carbon credits.”

He further added: “This achievement underscores the potential of technology-driven, farmer-led solutions in addressing climate change. With multiple projects in the pipeline, we aim to generate over 1 million carbon credits through paddy cultivation in the next two years.”

At the core of VARRI is Sow&Reap’s blockchain-powered DMRV platform, which enables end-to-end transparency and traceability—from on-ground data collection to carbon credit issuance. The project has been validated by Carbon Check and registered with Gold Standard, a globally recognized certification body in voluntary carbon markets.

The AWD technique, which replaces continuous flooding with controlled irrigation cycles, has proven to be a win-win for farmers and the environment—enhancing productivity while conserving water and lowering methane emissions.