Friday, 12th June 2026

Alt Carbon

Alt Carbon, a deeptech startup building Planetary Intelligence, today announced a deal with Microsoft to remove up to 36,920 metric tons of CO₂ in a multi-year deal. This will be Microsoft’s first deal in Asia to purchase carbon credits generated through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW).

Microsoft will receive verified Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits from the Darjeeling Revival Project (DRP) — an ambitious initiative to revive Darjeeling’s heritage tea estates and neighboring agricultural networks like rice paddies, by making it a hub for removing CO₂ at scale. Alt Carbon has onboarded over 80,000 acres of agricultural land to date, working with more than 35,000 farmers in 60+ gram panchayats, creating 250+ green jobs across field operations, logistics, and laboratory monitoring in the state of West Bengal, India.

Alt Carbon generates carbon credits via Enhanced Rock Weathering, which involves sourcing waste basalt rock and spreading it across agricultural farmlands. The basalt reacts with carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater; permanently storing the carbon dioxide as stable bicarbonate ions. Over time, these ions travel through river networks to the ocean, where they eventually reside as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), in the form of corals & seashells for over 1,000 years. The Darjeeling Revival Project further adapts agriculture to climate impact by boosting soil health, balancing pH, and improving crop yields for farmers.