Microsoft Corporation has signed a carbon dioxide removal purchase agreement with Bengaluru-based startup Alt Carbon to acquire 36,920 tonnes of carbon dioxide removal credits. Under the terms of the three-year agreement, the credits will be generated through Alt Carbon’s Darjeeling Revival Project in eastern India, marking Microsoft’s first enhanced rock weathering transaction within the Asian continent. The credits resulting from this deployment will be formally verified and issued through the independent registry Isometric. This transaction reinforces Microsoft’s corporate commitment to its long-term climate goals following brief market speculation that the technology company might suspend or reduce its global investments in the carbon removal sector.

The primary challenge addressed by this agreement is the operational and scientific validation required to scale durable, open-system carbon removal methodologies within emerging agricultural economies. Prior to this contract, the voluntary carbon market lacked high-volume, verified enhanced rock weathering credits originating from Asian agricultural systems, which face unique logistical and monitoring hurdles. Furthermore, the market was navigating uncertainty regarding the long-term demand from major corporate buyers after rumors circulated in April 2026 suggesting that large technology firms were pulling back from capital-intensive carbon dioxide removal solutions. Navigating the rigorous scientific review, extensive due diligence, and contract negotiations necessary to satisfy institutional buyers represents a significant barrier for early-stage regional startups.

To overcome these deployment hurdles and establish commercial-scale operations, Alt Carbon utilizes a specialized methodology that integrates industrial mineral sourcing with local agricultural practices. The company secures raw basalt rock material from the Rajmahal Traps in eastern India and processes it into a crushed powder optimized for agricultural distribution. This material is subsequently spread across extensive farmland networks in North Bengal and West Bengal, where the tropical climate accelerates natural chemical weathering. When rainwater and atmospheric carbon dioxide react with the silicate rocks on these active fields, the carbon is converted into stable bicarbonates, permanently locking the greenhouse gas away from the atmosphere.

The outcome of this agreement establishes Alt Carbon as a leading international supplier of enhanced rock weathering credits and stabilizes corporate demand signals for regional carbon markets. By securing Microsoft as a cornerstone portfolio partner, the startup validates its open-system methodology under a rigorous verification framework, with an additional 15,000 credits projected for issuance by the end of 2026. This project operates alongside an existing initiative dedicated to Japanese shipping corporation Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, positioning India as an active hub for global carbon dioxide removal procurement. Ultimately, the successful execution of this contract provides a scalable blueprint for leveraging South Asian agricultural lands to meet multinational corporate net-zero targets.