India generates an estimated 230 million tonnes of surplus biomass each year, much of it burned or left to rot. An opinion piece from Ankur Scientific argues that biochar offers a way to turn that agricultural residue into a commercial asset. Through pyrolysis and gasification, the process produces stable carbon-rich material, useful energy, and carbon removal that can be monetized in carbon markets. The article points to India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme as the key policy driver. Biochar is already recognized as an eligible offset activity, and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is processing project design documents. A gasification and biochar project in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, developed with Jain Irrigation Systems, is cited as an early example of the model working on the ground. For farmers, the pitch is not just carbon credits. Biochar can improve soil structure, water retention, and microbial activity while reducing dependence on chemical inputs. The open question is whether collection, processing, and verification costs can stay low enough for the value chain to scale beyond pilot projects.
