A village near Hebri in Udupi district now hosts India’s first industrial-scale biofuel and biochar carbon removal plant, set up by MASH Makes, an Indo-Danish climate tech startup. Using agricultural residues from the cashew industry, the company has so far produced 2,900 tonnes of biochar and 1,050 tonnes of biofuel at its first commercial site.COO Rohit Nagargoje said the plant uses a proprietary thermochemical process to convert cashew waste into renewable energy and carbon-rich biochar. The biofuel targets hard-to-abate sectors like shipping and heavy industry, while biochar improves soil fertility and generates high-quality carbon credits.Operational since April 2023, the Udupi facility—run by subsidiary SPV 1 Energy Products—has processed over 7,000 tonnes of biomass and employs 125 workers, 65% of whom are locals. The site currently consumes about 2,000 tonnes of cashew residue per month.MASH Makes plans to expand to other agricultural residues and invest ₹100 crore in Karnataka, half of which has already been realised. Chief Impact Officer Ross Allen said India offers huge potential for scaling carbon removal technologies, adding, “Biochar is a bridge toward reducing chemical fertiliser use and enabling a greener agricultural transition.”
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