- Microsoft is purchasing over 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from Indian startup Varaha over the next three years, converting cotton crop waste into biochar.
- This project, focused initially in Maharashtra, India, aims to reduce air pollution, improve soil health, and sequester carbon while involving approximately 40,000-45,000 farmers.
- The deal underscores Microsoft's efforts to offset emissions from its expanding AI and cloud operations and diversify its carbon removal portfolio, despite a recent rise in overall greenhouse gas emissions.
A: Did you hear about the news? Microsoft is doing something pretty cool!
B: No, what happened? Tell me!
A: They’re buying a ton of carbon removal credits from an Indian startup called Varaha. Like, over 100,000 tons!
B: Wow! What are they doing with the money?
A: They're turning cotton waste into this charcoal-like stuff called biochar. It's amazing! It goes into the soil, stores carbon, and even helps with air pollution.
B: That's great for the environment! Where is this happening?
A: Mostly in Maharashtra, a state in western India. They’re working with a lot of farmers – about 40,000 or 45,000!
A: Microsoft wants to be "carbon-negative" by 2030, but their emissions are actually going up because of all the AI they're using.
B: Oh, so this is helping them reach that goal?
A: Exactly! India's good for this because they have so much agricultural waste.
B: So, this Varaha company – are they new?
A: They're growing fast! They're building these special reactors that will take a long time – 15 years! And they expect to remove over 2 million tons of carbon dioxide.
B: Sounds like a big deal! Is it hard for them to do all this?
A: It is! It's tricky to get the credits and deal with so many small farmers. They even had to build their own systems to keep track of everything!
A: They’ve got a team with lots of experience in farming, so they know how to make things work.
B: That’s really smart. Are they only working with Microsoft?
A: Nope! They’re working across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. They have a lot of projects going on. They’re even aiming to double what they do next year!
B: That’s incredible. It’s good to hear companies are finding ways to help.
- This project, focused initially in Maharashtra, India, aims to reduce air pollution, improve soil health, and sequester carbon while involving approximately 40,000-45,000 farmers.
- The deal underscores Microsoft's efforts to offset emissions from its expanding AI and cloud operations and diversify its carbon removal portfolio, despite a recent rise in overall greenhouse gas emissions.
A: Did you hear about the news? Microsoft is doing something pretty cool!
B: No, what happened? Tell me!
A: They’re buying a ton of carbon removal credits from an Indian startup called Varaha. Like, over 100,000 tons!
B: Wow! What are they doing with the money?
A: They're turning cotton waste into this charcoal-like stuff called biochar. It's amazing! It goes into the soil, stores carbon, and even helps with air pollution.
B: That's great for the environment! Where is this happening?
A: Mostly in Maharashtra, a state in western India. They’re working with a lot of farmers – about 40,000 or 45,000!
A: Microsoft wants to be "carbon-negative" by 2030, but their emissions are actually going up because of all the AI they're using.
B: Oh, so this is helping them reach that goal?
A: Exactly! India's good for this because they have so much agricultural waste.
B: So, this Varaha company – are they new?
A: They're growing fast! They're building these special reactors that will take a long time – 15 years! And they expect to remove over 2 million tons of carbon dioxide.
B: Sounds like a big deal! Is it hard for them to do all this?
A: It is! It's tricky to get the credits and deal with so many small farmers. They even had to build their own systems to keep track of everything!
A: They’ve got a team with lots of experience in farming, so they know how to make things work.
B: That’s really smart. Are they only working with Microsoft?
A: Nope! They’re working across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. They have a lot of projects going on. They’re even aiming to double what they do next year!
B: That’s incredible. It’s good to hear companies are finding ways to help.
Similar Readings (4 items)
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Summary
Microsoft is purchasing 100,000+ tons of carbon removal credits from Indian startup Varaha, converting cotton waste into biochar. The project in Maharashtra, India, aims to sequester carbon, improve soil health & involves ~40,000 farmers. It offsets Microsoft's AI emissions.
Reading History
| Date | Name | Words | Time | WPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/01/15 21:29 | Anonymous | 383 | 163s | 140 |
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ID: 603e60de-1023-41c6-af55-fe4e1382f15d
Category ID: listed_summary
Date: Jan. 15, 2026
Notes: TechCrunch News Summary - 2026-01-15
Created: 2026/01/15 19:42
Updated: 2026/01/15 21:29
Last Read: 2026/01/15 21:29