Soil Health & Conservation: Regenerating India’s Soils for Agricultural Resilience and Climate Action
Reviving degraded lands through data-driven soil intelligence and climate-smart technologies
Soil is the foundation of food, water, biodiversity and climate systems and yet, it is vanishing under our feet. India faces a deepening soil crisis: nearly 30% of its land is degraded, nutrient levels are plummeting, and organic carbon, the lifeblood of soil, is steadily declining. As climate change intensifies droughts, floods and heatwaves, the fertility and structure of India’s soils are eroding faster than they can be restored.
At Nexus 3P Foundation, we take a systems approach to protect, restore and enhance soil health across India’s diverse agro-ecological zones. By integrating geospatial soil diagnostics, regenerative agriculture practices, and farmer-centered capacity building, we aim to regenerate landscapes while boosting productivity, nutrition and livelihoods.
The Soil Crisis at a Glance
India’s Soil Crisis
Over 147 million hectares - about 30% of India’s total land - is degraded or under threat of desertification.(TERI India, 2019)
Organic Matter Depletion
Indian soils contain less than 0.5% organic carbon on average, far below the 1.5-3% ideal needed for sustained fertility.
Nutrient Imbalance
Overuse of nitrogen and underuse of micronutrients like zinc and boron is depleting soil health and reducing crop resilience.
Erosion and Runoff
Soil erosion affects 29% of agricultural land, reducing water retention and crop yields while worsening flood vulnerability.
Yield-Soil Disconnect
Despite intensive fertilizer use, yield gains have stagnated - a sign that soil is losing its productive capacity.
Farmer Vulnerability
Smallholders dependent on degraded soils are more exposed to crop failure, debt, and climate shocks. (Read more.)
Also see: Kiss The Ground
This documentary explores how regenerating soil can reverse climate change, restore biodiversity, and empower farmers.
Our Focus: Tech-Enabled, Community-Driven Mitigation
Soil Intelligence Systems
Use satellite imagery, GIS mapping and AI to monitor organic carbon levels, erosion hotspots and nutrient deficiencies at scale.
On-Farm Soil Testing & Advisory
Deploy low-cost soil testing kits and app-based recommendations to guide regenerative nutrient management.
Village-Level Soil Stewardship Councils
Foster local ownership through collective planning, monitoring and incentive-based restoration campaigns.
Innovators Leading Soil Health and Conservation
AltCarbon
Focus: Soil carbon sequestration through microbial and AI-driven monitoring.
Impact: Empowers farmers to regenerate soil and monetize carbon credits, promoting climate resilience and financial inclusion.
Learn more →Gramophone
Focus: Data-driven crop and soil management platform delivering personalized farming insights.
Impact: Supports 1 million+ Indian farmers with location-specific recommendations that reduce input waste and boost soil vitality.
Learn more →Kheyti
Focus: Low-cost greenhouse solutions with soil-focused advisory for smallholder farmers.
Impact: Helps increase productivity by 7× while protecting soil from heat and erosion, lifting farmers out of poverty sustainably.
Learn more →Krishitantra
Focus: Portable IoT soil-testing devices delivering instant fertilizer and crop advice.
Impact: Deployed across 18 Indian states, enabling data-backed input use and preventing nutrient depletion in rural soils.
Learn more →Niqo Robotics
Focus:AI-guided precision spraying to reduce agrochemical soil damage.
Impact: Reduces pesticide use by up to 90%, preserving soil biodiversity and reducing farmer exposure to toxins.
Learn more →Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)
Focus: Technology-driven watershed management and soil conservation.
Impact: Improved soil water retention and productivity across 3.5 million hectares, benefiting 4.9 million people in India.
Learn more →Gauhati University – Low-Cost Soil Sensors
Focus: Affordable, paper-based soil moisture and gas sensors.
Impact: Makes soil data accessible to low-income farmers, enhancing soil monitoring in remote and rural regions.
Learn more →Puna Bio
Focus: Use of extremophile microbes to restore degraded or saline soils.
Impact: Improves fertility and crop performance in harsh soil environments using natural, bio-based technologies.
Learn more →Boomitra
Focus: Satellite and AI-based soil carbon verification and regeneration tracking.
Impact: Enables 150,000+ farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture and access carbon markets for income.
Learn more →More...
Our Vision
We envision an India where healthy soils are recognized as a national asset that is central to food security, climate resilience, and rural prosperity.
Through open data platforms, community-led action, and nature-positive agriculture, Nexus 3P Foundation seeks to reverse land degradation, empower farmers as environmental stewards, and bring soil health to the center of the sustainability agenda.
Building a solution to heal the soil? We’d love to hear from you.
Whether you're an innovator, startup, or researcher - reach out to us at reachout@nexus3p.org or use the contact form below.