# Microsoft partners with Indian startup Alt Carbon for carbon removal

**Published:** 2026-06-12T02:11:44.498Z  
**Topic:** Microsoft taps Alt Carbon in sign of India’s growing role in carbon removal  
**Sentiment:** neutral  
**Publisher:** TrendWatcher — https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/836f495d-cba9-4ae8-ab89-b74c28b67998

Microsoft signs a multi‑year deal with Bengaluru‑based Alt Carbon to buy up to 36,920 tonnes of verified carbon‑removal credits from an enhanced rock

Microsoft has entered a multi‑year agreement with Bengaluru‑based climate‑tech startup Alt Carbon to purchase verified carbon‑dioxide removal (CDR) credits generated through enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in India [1]. The deal covers up to 36,920 metric tonnes of CO₂ removal from Alt Carbon’s Darjeeling Revival Project and includes an option for future purchases.

**Key takeaways**  
- Microsoft will receive up to 36,920 t of verified CDR credits from Alt Carbon’s ERW project in Darjeeling [1].  
- Alt Carbon has onboarded more than 80,000 acres of agricultural land and works with over 35,000 farmers across 60 Gram Panchayats in West Bengal [1].  
- The startup has issued 9,566 carbon credits to date through the Isometric registry and aims to remove 5 million t of CO₂ by 2030 [1].  
- ERW involves spreading waste basalt rock on fields, where it reacts with rainwater CO₂ to form stable bicarbonate that eventually reaches the oceans [1].  
- Alt Carbon plans to expand its laboratory capacity to process 100,000 soil and water samples annually by 2026 [1].

## Scaling Enhanced Rock Weathering in Darjeeling  

Alt Carbon’s Darjeeling Revival Project combines agricultural revitalisation with carbon removal. By spreading finely ground basalt on tea estates and surrounding farms, the basalt chemically reacts with dissolved CO₂, converting it into bicarbonate ions that are carried to the oceans for long‑term storage [1]. The company has built laboratory infrastructure in Bengaluru (Shonku Labs) and Darjeeling to support measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), analysing more than 20,000 samples so far and targeting a processing capacity of 100,000 samples per year by 2026 [1].  

The agreement with Microsoft also grants the tech giant access to data from ongoing field trials, deep‑soil and pore‑water monitoring, and crop uptake measurements, all of which Alt Carbon will share publicly to advance scientific understanding of ERW in tropical agricultural systems [1]. An optional clause allows Microsoft to purchase additional volumes pending successful delivery and verification milestones [1].

## Corporate demand and the emerging role of the Global South  

Microsoft’s partnership reflects a broader shift toward engineered carbon‑removal technologies, especially those that can be verified at scale. Alt Carbon’s CEO Sparsh Agarwal notes that the Global South now accounts for 26 % of CDR issuances, up from under 2 % in 2022, driven by favourable geology, lower costs, and science‑first developers [1]. He estimates ERW could potentially remove up to 2 gigatons of CO₂ annually if scaled globally [1].  

Microsoft highlighted Alt Carbon’s focus on rigorous scientific measurement and high‑standard verification as key reasons for the deal, emphasizing the need for durable carbon‑removal capacity as the company pursues its carbon‑negative target for 2030 [1].

## Why it matters  

The Microsoft‑Alt Carbon agreement marks the first purchase of ERW‑derived carbon credits in Asia, signaling growing corporate confidence in emerging removal pathways beyond traditional afforestation or biochar projects. By linking verified credits to a large‑scale agricultural network, the deal could accelerate deployment of ERW technology, create jobs, and provide a model for MRV in complex, smallholder‑driven contexts. Future purchases under the optional clause will depend on Alt Carbon’s ability to meet verification milestones, making the partnership a test case for scaling scientifically robust carbon removal in the Global South.

## Sources
1. CNBCTV18 — [Microsoft signs first Asia carbon-removal deal via enhanced rock weathering, backs Indian startup Alt Carbon](https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/startup/microsoft-signs-first-asia-carbon-removal-deal-via-enhanced-rock-weathering-backs-indian-startup-alt-carbon-ws-l-19924021.htm)
2. TechCrunch — [Microsoft taps India’s Varaha for durable carbon removal ...](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/15/microsoft-taps-indias-varaha-for-asia-first-durable-carbon-removal-offtake/)

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Cite as: TrendWatcher, "Microsoft partners with Indian startup Alt Carbon for carbon removal", https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/836f495d-cba9-4ae8-ab89-b74c28b67998