Partnership Overview
Mitti Labs announced a five‑year carbon‑credit agreement with Google under which the deep‑tech firm will deliver one million high‑integrity methane‑reduction credits to the tech giant by 2030. The programme targets 100,000 hectares of smallholder rice farms across India and will transition 70,000 farmers to alternate irrigation practices.
Environmental Impact
The initiative is projected to eliminate three million tonnes of near‑term warming impact measured on a GWP20 basis – equivalent to one million tonnes on a GWP100 basis – by cutting methane emissions from rice paddies, which currently account for more than 10% of global methane output. Methane reductions of up to 50% are expected, while irrigation water use is slated to fall by close to 40% without compromising yields. Water savings are estimated in the billions of liters, matching Bengaluru’s annual water supply for three years.
Technology and Methodology
Mitti Labs’ GeoAI platform, built with support from NASA, fuses high‑resolution satellite radar data with field‑collected ground‑truth observations to generate plot‑level insights on crop health, soil moisture and flooding. This data‑driven approach enables rapid scaling of low‑cost, science‑backed irrigation changes and creates digital‑twin datasets for rice fields worldwide.
Statements from Leaders
Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google, said the partnership accelerates Google’s mission to neutralise warming by delivering near‑term atmospheric impact through methane cuts and water conservation. Xavier Laguarta, co‑founder of Mitti Labs, highlighted the collaboration as a powerful lever to reduce emissions, save water and improve livelihoods for the 150 million smallholder farmers who grow rice.
Company Credentials and Funding
Since its 2023 launch, Mitti Labs has become the world’s largest provider of alternate irrigation programmes, saving 500 billion liters of water to date – the same volume as Bengaluru’s annual supply. The firm holds an “A” rating for its methane‑based credits from ratings agency Sylvera, reflecting rigorous measurement protocols. Its client roster includes Cool Effect, Ebro Foods and Syngenta. Mitti Labs employs 150 staff and has secured $12.5 million in financing from investors such as Lightspeed India and Aramco Ventures.
Release Details
The press release was issued on 10 September 2026 from Bengaluru, India and San Francisco, USA, under a PRNewswire arrangement.