Multinational Companies Invest in Mangrove Conservation in India

In recent years, multinational companies have been investing in mangrove conservation in India, with a focus on community livelihoods and biodiversity. These efforts are taking place in various parts of the country, including Maharashtra and Gujarat.

## Mangrove Conservation Efforts in India

Mangroves are among the most carbon-efficient ecosystems, with studies estimating they can sequester 6-8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare. They also help buffer coastlines from storms, reduce flood risks, support biodiversity, and sustain communities that depend on coastal ecosystems.

Several multinational companies have been financing mangrove conservation efforts in India. Apple, for example, has committed USD 400 million to nature-based carbon removal projects globally and has partnered with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to aid mangrove conservation in Maharashtra. Godrej Enterprises Group invests between INR 8-10 million (USD 84,000-105,000) annually in mangrove conservation and has been protecting mangroves around Vikhroli township in Mumbai for decades. Amazon has also allocated USD 1.2 million towards mangrove protection and flamingo habitat restoration in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

| Company | Investment | Location | | --- | --- | --- | | Apple | USD 400 million | Maharashtra | | Godrej Enterprises Group | INR 8-10 million (USD 84,000-105,000) | Mumbai | | Amazon | USD 1.2 million | Maharashtra and Gujarat |

Despite differing approaches, these projects share a striking feature: none currently generate carbon credits. This sets India apart from several mangrove conservation projects globally, which have been generating carbon credits.

## Conservation before Accreditation

Experts say that there is room for these projects to evolve into structured "blue carbon" initiatives, which refer to the carbon captured and stored by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems. To do so, they will need to build scientific knowledge, improve monitoring systems, and develop community partnerships needed for carbon markets.

For Godrej Enterprises Group, mangrove conservation began long before carbon markets became part of the climate conversation. The company's Vikhroli township mangrove conservation programme began in 1985 and has been protecting 23,000 tonnes of carbon as sequestered. Despite measuring the carbon stored in its mangroves, the company chose not to use those figures towards carbon neutrality claims.

## The Limits of Conservation Funding

Amazon's mangrove initiative represents another model of private investment in these ecosystems. The conglomerate is supporting a mangrove protection and flamingo habitat restoration project across Mumbai and Gujarat, through the non-profit Hasten Regeneration (soon to become Xylo Earth). The project is a "philanthropic investment" with no carbon credits involved.

Sheeba Sen, co-founder of Hasten Regeneration, believes that philanthropy and CSR initiatives cannot deliver ecosystem restoration at the scale required across India. Long-term private investment will be necessary to scale conservation efforts beyond individual projects, she says.

## Putting a Price on Nature

In March 2026, India launched its carbon market portal, taking it one step closer to implementing its carbon credit trading scheme. Mangrove conservation efforts in India are gradually moving beyond CSR, even if they are not yet structured as carbon projects, notes Manish Dabkara, chairperson and managing director of EKI Energy Services.

Over time, many of the mangrove initiatives that are "positioned primarily as CSR, sustainability-driven, biodiversity or coastal resilience programmes" are likely to evolve into structured blue carbon projects, Dabkara says. For a project to generate carbon credits, developers must establish scientific baselines, monitor ecosystems over time, and verify carbon storage.

The existing blue carbon methodologies do not always fit AERF's approach, according to the foundation's joint director Jayant Sarnaik. "You have to prove that if you do not do this, they will be wiped out. We don’t want anything to be destroyed," Sarnaik says.

The key difference between CSR-funded conservation projects and carbon projects is the level of investment and the focus on long-term impact. While CSR-funded projects can continue for several years, their funding is often reviewed and allocated through annual budgeting cycles. Carbon projects, in contrast, require sustained investment over decades to establish baselines and monitor outcomes.