India has made bold commitments to restore 26 million hectares of deforested and degraded land (under the Bonn Challenge) and sequester an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent through increased forest and tree cover by 2030 (as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement). This restoration is critical to mitigate the effects of climate change, water scarcity and loss of topsoil that are threatening the livelihoods of India’s 700 million rural inhabitants who depend on forests and agriculture.

Drawing upon the work of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers communities, 1t.org is committed to facilitating a multi-stakeholder dialogue in India with a focus on encouraging ecopreneurship, spotlighting and scaling promising innovations and solutions, engaging the Indian private sector to commit resources and know-how for forest restoration and reforestation in India, and facilitating public-private dialogue.

This white paper, a collaborative effort by the World Economic Forum, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and IORA Ecological Solutions, focuses on the evolving landscape of Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) investments among Indian corporations.

This paper, part of 1t.org's efforts in India, aims to provide guidance on existing and upcoming policies and foster public-private partnerships for forest landscape conservation and restoration, offering insights, opportunities, and recommendations for a sustainable future.

Karnataka is embarking on an ambitious journey to enhance its green cover and combat climate change and sustaining access to clean water and air, through the Neerugagi Aranya Initiative (Forests for Water Initiative) - the first Indian State Government pledge announced during World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.

This program aims to plant and nurture 50 million trees across the state over a period of next 5 years starting from 2020-2021, promoting biodiversity, improving air and water quality, and the wellbeing of local communities.

Telangana is firmly committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As a central pillar of its net-zero strategy and the 'Future City' initiative on nature-positive and sustainable urban development, Telangana has placed natural ecosystem restoration at its core, with a commitment to plant 340 million trees between 2025 and 2026, as announced during World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.

This integrated approach fosters collaboration among state government departments, corporations, academia, and changemakers to create a cohesive ecosystem for climate action across India, advancing broader sustainability goals.