the^delta prize's rapid re·gen challenge, powered by PepsiCo

scale of the problem

India's soil is in severe crisis

in just one lifetime, we have farmed our way through soil that took millennia to form.

0 Mn

Hectares¹

of degraded land in India — forests, croplands & pastures.

0.0 Bn

tonnes²

of topsoil lost every year — erosion rates of 16.4–21 t/ha/yr, almost double the permissible 11.2.

0.0 Mn

Hectares³

of cropland abandoned every year — because the soil can no longer produce.

0%

of degraded land⁴

sits in dry, rainfed areas that produce 44% of India's food grains, 80% of its pulses, and 73% of its oilseeds.

¹ ISRO / NRSC — Desertification & Land Degradation Atlas of India (Space Applications Centre, ISRO).
² ICAR — Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation, erosion-rate research.
³ FAO & UNCCD — Global Soil & Land Degradation reports.
⁴ ICAR-CRIDA (Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture) & NITI Aayog briefs on rainfed agriculture.

statistics also informed by the^delta prize's consultations with agricultural experts and field practitioners.

we are pouring in more inputs — fertilizer, water, pesticide — to hold yields flat on tired land. more input. lower output. that is the signature of a soil crisis.

From ~13 kg of grain per kg of fertilizer in 1970 to ~4–5 kg today — fertilizer use rising, grain return falling.

how did we get here?

we didn't lose our soil overnight. we traded it, season by season.

smallholder farmers are caught in a cycle: unsustainable practices and climate stress are depleting their soil — and their net incomes with it.

a · soil disturbance

we disturb the soil and everything living in it through over-tilling and stubble burning.

b · excessive inputs

we overdose the soil with chemicals — urea-heavy fertilisation, pesticide overuse and low-quality inputs applied out of fear, not diagnosis.

c · cropping patterns

we crop without rest — the same crops season after season, mining the same nutrients.

smallholders are locked in a vicious cycle of soil degradation

soil degradation lower yields rising input costs shrinking farm incomes lower risk appetite to transition continued extractive practices

farmers know the soil needs regeneration — but for a smallholder, the transition to regenerative farming is a massive risk today:

›
Yield risk — yields often dip in the first 2–3 years of transition, and smallholdings under 2 ha leave no room to absorb a single bad season.
›
Inconvenient & labour-intensive — mulching, composting, intercropping demand more work.
›
Knowledge-intensive — regen is context-specific, and extension systems don't adequately reach smallholders.
›
Weak financing — weak market premiums, no short-term income protection.

90%+ of India's farmers remain locked into chemical-intensive practices — not for lack of will, but because the system makes the right thing the risky thing.

the opportunity

but soil is not dead. it's dormant. and it can be brought back to life.

Degraded soils respond fastest to regeneration. Expert consultations show that highly degraded soils (SOC ≤ 0.3%) can gain 0.2%–0.3% of organic carbon within just two years — when regenerative practices are combined with novel biologicals.

the pathways are known, proven and farmer-ready:

cover crops

that shield and feed the soil between harvests

no-till or low-till farming

that leaves soil life undisturbed

crop rotation & intercropping

that restore nutrient cycles

mulching & residue retention

instead of burning

bio-fertilizers & microbial inoculants

composted manure that revive soil life

agroforestry & legume integration

that build long-term carbon

the question

can we regenerate 5% of India's soil in the next 5 years?

not someday. not eventually. now — by finding the transition models that work, proving them at scale, and making regeneration the rational choice for every smallholder farmer.

introducing

rapid re·gen challenge

farmer-centric, low-risk, high-yield regen pathways to regenerate India's soil and improve farmers' income.

Double soil organic carbon within 24 months and increase smallholder farmer net incomes by at least 25% through tech-enabled, replicable transition models for regenerative agriculture, reaching 5,000–10,000 farmers across at least 5,000 hectares within a cluster.

*A cluster is defined as 2–5 contiguous blocks within a district.

impact landscape

smallholder farmers practicing conventional agriculture, with baseline SOC ≤ 0.3%

crop types

cereals · oilseeds · pulses · fruits & vegetables · cash crops

prize fund

INR 6.5 Cr

apply now download brochure for details

what it takes to win

the qualities of a winning challenger

organisations will be progressively shortlisted across stages — based on the following non-negotiables:

01

on-ground implementation capability

credible track record of delivering field interventions at scale with smallholder farmers.

02

farmer-centricity

a clear model that puts farmer income, agency and adoption-readiness at the heart of the transition.

03

credible regenerative model

a coherent set of practices — soil, water, biology, advisory — that can credibly double SoC within 24 months.

04

scalability & replicability

a transition model that can move from one cluster to many, with clear unit economics and an adoption pathway.

05

evidence orientation

commitment to baseline, midline and endline measurement — soil profiling and farmer economics — with full transparency.

06

operational readiness

the team, partnerships and field presence to begin implementation immediately after the cohort kick-off.

YEAR 1 — proof of viability 500 hectares across 500–1,000 farmers

YEAR 2 — proof of scalability 5,000 hectares across 5,000–10,000 farmers

who should apply

this challenge is for those implementing solutions on the ground

›
Non-profits & CSOs working across — or beyond — market linkages, input optimisation, capacity building & advisory, natural resource management, agroforestry, and more.
›
Hybrid models welcome — collaborations between for-profit and not-for-profit organisations are encouraged to apply.
›
Eligibility — any organisation registered as a Section 8 company holding valid 12A and 80G certificates can secure the grant.

apply now see the journey

timelines & journey

one journey. two monsoons. measurable regeneration.

Applications open 29 June open call for nonprofits & CSOs

Applications close 27 July submission window closes

Cohort kickoff Oct–Nov 5–8 challengers announced & onboarded

Jun – Jul '26

1

applications open

open call for nonprofits & CSOs.

Aug – Oct '26

2

selection process

jury review & field diligence.

Oct – Nov '26

3

cohort kickoff

5–8 challengers announced & onboarded.

PILOT GRANT

Nov – Dec '26

4

baseline evaluation

understand starting point & plan interventions.

Feb – Mar '27

5

deployment grant

unlock scale based on early progress.

DEPLOYMENT GRANT

Jun '27

6

midline progress check

track progress & course-correct.

Apr – May '28

7

endline evaluation

assess impact achieved & outcomes.

Jun – Jul '28

8

grand finale

showcase impact & unlock scale-up.

FINAL SCALE-UP GRANT

Oct '28

9

final soil profiling

measure lasting soil health impact.

grant milestone evaluation milestone application & selection *timeline is indicative and subject to change.

beyond the prize fund

more than a prize — a field for evidence & scale

Challengers gain access to capital, mentorship, third-party MEL and an ecosystem designed to turn proven regenerative models into scaled, real-world impact.

01

compete for a prize fund of INR 6.5 Cr

milestone-linked grants

pilot-ground activation grant at kickoff, deployment grant in Year 2, and an outcome-linked scale-up grant for winners at the grand finale.

02

1-on-1 mentorship by soil & livelihoods experts

mentor-in-residence office hours

recurring 1-on-1 sessions across the 24-month journey with senior practitioners across soil science, livelihoods and scale-up.

03

privileged access to capital & philanthropy networks

curated investor introductions

warm introductions to CSR, philanthropic and impact-investor partners — relationships that typically take years to build, opened up in months.

04

plug into the wider ecosystem

full ecosystem access

government bodies & schemes, tech & startup partners, academia, research institutions, media and global agencies — connected to your model.

05

masterclasses & skill-building workshops

specialised cohort sessions

deep dives on regenerative science, scaling models, policy advocacy and the operational craft of running outcome-linked programmes.

06

dedicated media coverage & visibility

storytelling & demo days

narrative support, demo days and cohort visibility across major platforms — credibility that lifts your model far beyond the prize.

apply now download brochure

voices of the challenge

guidance from those shaping India's growth

Shri Amitabh Kant

Former G20 Sherpa (India) | Former CEO, NITI Aayog

guiding the challenge on policy alignment, public systems and accelerating implementation pathways for India's regenerative transition.

advisors to the challenge

experts guiding the challenge across soil science, policy, capital and implementation

Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS (Retd.)

Former Secy, MoA & FW, GoI · Former Chief Secy, Odisha

Hemendra Mathur

Co-founder, ThinkAg · Agritech Expert

Dr. Ramanjaneyulu GV

Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture

frequently asked questions

your questions, answered

The rapid re·gen challenge invites non-profits and civil society organizations (CSOs) to deploy farmer-centric, low-risk, high-yield regenerative agriculture pathways that regenerate India's soils while improving smallholder incomes. The challenge aims to:

Double soil organic carbon (SoC) within 24 months
Increase smallholder farmer net incomes by at least 25%
Reach at least 5,000 hectares across 5,000–10,000 farmers within a defined cluster

The challenge is focused on building tech-enabled, replicable regenerative agriculture transition models that can scale across India.

The rapid re·gen challenge is powered by PepsiCo and launched by the^delta prize.

The challenge is designed to move beyond small pilots and demonstrate regenerative agriculture at a meaningful landscape scale. A 5,000-hectare threshold helps create visible landscape-level change, stronger peer effects among farmers, and measurable soil outcomes across a contiguous geography.

The range allows organizations to design models suited to different farmer realities and landholding patterns. Applicants may choose to:

transition ~5,000 farmers fully to regenerative agriculture across their landholdings, or
work with up to ~10,000 farmers where at least 1 acre per farmer transitions to regenerative practices

In both cases, the goal is to collectively reach at least 5,000 hectares under regenerative transition.

The total challenge grant pool is INR 6.5 crore.

Non-profits, CSOs, and Section 8 organizations with valid 12A and 80G certifications are eligible to apply. Organizations working across areas such as:

market linkages
input optimization
farmer advisory and capacity building
natural resource management
agroforestry
regenerative agriculture transitions

are encouraged to apply. Cross-functional models combining multiple capabilities are welcome.

They cannot apply as lead applicants. However, they are encouraged to participate as technology partners, implementation partners, research partners or ecosystem collaborators within a consortium led by an eligible non-profit or CSO.

Yes. Consortium applications are encouraged, especially where different partners bring complementary capabilities such as farmer engagement, technology, market access, soil science, or measurement. One organization must apply as the lead applicant and will remain accountable for delivery.

Applicants should demonstrate credible prior experience working with smallholder farmers in agriculture, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, or related sectors. Organizations do not need to have previously executed a project at this scale, but should be able to demonstrate:

on-ground implementation capability
farmer engagement experience
operational readiness
measurable outcomes from previous work

Newer organizations are encouraged to apply in partnership with experienced field organizations.

Yes. Applicants are not expected to build technology internally. However, the challenge is explicitly looking for tech-enabled and replicable transition models. Technology may include:

remote sensing
digital advisory
soil intelligence systems
traceability platforms
IoT or sensor-based systems
AI-enabled crop or pest advisory

Organizations without in-house capabilities are encouraged to partner with agritech or research organizations.

For this challenge, regenerative agriculture refers to farming systems that actively regenerate soil health while improving farmer livelihoods and resilience. Solutions are expected to simultaneously contribute to:

improved soil health and soil organic carbon
stable or improved yields
higher farmer incomes
improved resilience to climate stress

The challenge does not prescribe a fixed list of practices. Applicants may propose combinations of practices suited to their agro-climatic and farming contexts, including composting and bio-inputs, crop rotation, intercropping, mulching, reduced tillage, agroforestry, biological pest management, moisture conservation, precision nutrient management, and regenerative advisory systems.

A cluster refers to a contiguous geography spanning approximately 2–5 blocks within a single district. This allows for operational feasibility, stronger ecosystem coordination, shared market and advisory systems, and better impact measurement.

The funded implementation must focus on one primary cluster. Organizations may describe future scale-up plans beyond the initial cluster, but challenge outcomes must be demonstrated within one defined geography.

All major crop systems are eligible — cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, cash crops. Intercropping and diversified farming systems are encouraged.

Solutions are expected to achieve, within 24 months: double soil organic carbon from baseline, increase farmer net incomes by ≥ 25%, and do so without increasing cultivation costs. These outcomes must be demonstrated across at least 5,000 hectares and 5,000–10,000 farmers.

India's average soil organic carbon levels have fallen to critically low levels (~0.3%). Doubling SoC is intended to move soils from degraded conditions toward a more functional and productive state. It also ensures that changes are meaningful, measurable, and beyond normal seasonal variability.

Smallholder farmers often operate on very thin margins. A 25% increase creates a meaningful enough improvement to reduce transition risk and make regenerative practices economically viable and attractive for adoption.

Farmers cultivating up to 2 hectares of land, in line with Government of India definitions.

Measurement is expected to include georeferenced soil sampling, baseline and periodic testing, accredited laboratory analysis, and standardized protocols across the cohort. Detailed measurement frameworks will be shared with shortlisted finalists.

Net income refers to gross farm revenue minus cultivation-related costs, including inputs, labour, irrigation, machinery, and post-harvest handling.

Not necessarily. Solutions may reduce costs through input optimization, but cost-neutral models that improve yields, crop quality, or market realization are also acceptable. The idea is to incentivise adoption of regenerative farming for farmers.

The challenge will involve three stages:

Application screening
Jury evaluations and interviews
Field evaluations and due diligence

Organizations will be progressively shortlisted through each stage based on implementation capability, credibility of the proposed model, farmer-centricity, scalability, evidence orientation, and operational readiness. Finalists will be selected after field visits and evaluation by the jury and M&E teams.

Click the apply now button on this page to begin your application. The link will open the application form.

Applications close on 27 July 2026.

Shortlisted organizations will be informed after each round of evaluation. Detailed timelines will be shared during the application process.

The top 5–8 finalist organizations selected for the challenge will receive an initial deployment grant upon selection. Subsequent funding, including the final outcome-linked grant, will be tied to milestone achievement and endline assessments.

terms & conditions

the rules that protect the mission

Eligibility. Open to non-profits, CSOs and other models registered as a Section 8 company (or equivalent) holding valid 12A and 80G certificates. For-profit / non-profit collaborations are welcome, but the applying entity must meet these criteria.
Use of funds. Grant funds must be used solely to advance regenerative farming for soil-health acceleration and improved farmer incomes, in line with the challenge's objectives. Funds may not be diverted to unrelated activities.
Geography. All activities and impact must be deployed within India, for Indian farmers and Indian farms.
Utilisation Certificate. A Grant Utilisation Certificate must be submitted annually for each January–December cycle, accounting for all funds received and deployed.
Evaluation participation. Grantees agree to participate in baseline, midline and endline assessments (soil profiling and farmer-economics) and to provide the data, field access and documentation needed to verify impact against the challenge thresholds.
Knowledge sharing. Grantees agree to share anonymised results and transition-model learnings to support replication and ecosystem benefit, with due credit to the grantee.
Tranche-linked disbursal. Grants are disbursed in milestone- and outcome-linked tranches (pilot, deployment and scale-up), not as a single upfront payment. Subsequent tranches are contingent on satisfactory progress and reporting.
Misuse. Submission of false information, misuse or diversion of funds, or failure to submit the Grant Utilisation Certificate may result in disqualification and forfeiture or clawback of grant amounts.
Jury decisions. All jury and advisory decisions regarding selection, evaluation and awards are final and binding.

explore the prize

go deeper into the^delta prize

the rapid re·gen challenge film