About us

Who We Are
The Progressive Biochar Society, headquartered in Hyderabad, India, is a non-profit, member-driven organization formed by experts, practitioners, and institutions working across the biochar value chain.

Our Vision:
 To position biochar as a key tool for climate change mitigation, environmental restoration, and socio-economic empowerment while supporting India’s and the world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our Mission:

• Promote research, innovation, and scientific validation.
• Build awareness and capacity through farmer outreach and training.
• Advocate biochar-friendly policies at state, national, and global levels.
• Enable farmer access to carbon credits and biochar markets.
• Support commercialization of biochar-based products for agriculture, construction, energy, and environment.

Team

• Shri R.K. Mehta – Chairman
   A visionary leader driving PBS’s mission to make India a global hub for biochar innovation and adoption.
• Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy – President
   An internationally recognized biochar expert with decades of research and field experience in sustainable agriculture, climate action, and grassroots innovation.
• Shri S.K. Gupta – Secretary
   A seasoned administrator coordinating PBS’s programs, member engagement, and national/international events.

What is Biochar?

Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material produced by heating organic waste—biomass—through a process called pyrolysis, which limits oxygen.

Unlike decomposition, this process locks the carbon into a highly resistant structure.

Its primary climate role is long-term carbon sequestration (BCR). When added to soil, biochar stores carbon for hundreds to thousands of years, preventing its return to the atmosphere as CO2.

Additionally, biochar systems generate clean energy by capturing fuel by-products (bio-oil and syngas).

Critically, it also improves soil health, which enhances plant growth and further CO2 uptake, while reducing powerful greenhouse gas emissions like N2O and CH4 from agricultural land.