The inaugural edition of the Earthshot Prize of 1 million british pounds for the category “clean our air” was awarded to Delhi-based Vidyut Mohan’s agricultural waste recycling project, Takachar.
Dubbed as the ‘Eco Oscars’, the Earthshot Prize is an award set up by Prince William and the Royal Foundation to honor initiatives that showcase “human ingenuity” in mitigating the environmental impact of climate change.
“Globally, we generate $120 billion of agricultural waste every year. What farmers cannot sell, they often burn, with catastrophic consequences for human health and the environment. The burning of agricultural waste causes air pollution that in some areas has reduced life expectancy by a decade.
This plays out every year in the fields surrounding New Delhi. Smoke from man-made infernos fills the air, with serious consequences for the health of locals. One of their number is Vidyut Mohan. His social enterprise, Takachar, is putting out the fire.
Takachar has developed an inexpensive, small-scale, portable technology that attaches to tractors in remote farms. The machine converts crop residues into saleable bio-products such as fuel and fertilizer.
Takachar’s technology reduces smoke emissions by up to 98% which will help improve the air quality that currently reduces the affected population’s life expectancy by up to 5 years. If scaled, it could cut a billion tons of carbon dioxide a year: a win for India’s farmers will be a win in the fight against climate change.”
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
