In a significant boost to climate-positive initiatives, Iora Ecological Solutions (IORA) has raised ₹8.5 crore (around $1 million) in debt funding from Caspian Impact Investments (Caspian Debt). The funding will accelerate IORA’s flagship agroforestry and land restoration program, MegCare, in Meghalaya.
The MegCare initiative is designed to transform degraded landscapes in the state by improving forest cover and empowering rural communities. At the heart of the program is a powerful vision — to use Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to restore ecosystems while creating sustainable livelihoods for 80,000 smallholder farmers.
Speaking about the development, Swapan Mehra, Founder and CEO of IORA, shared, “This support from Caspian enables us to expand our impact in one of India’s most ecologically rich but vulnerable regions. MegCare is a people-first climate solution that links restoration with income generation through carbon finance.”
Founded in 2009, IORA has carved a niche as an environmental advisory firm blending scientific research, environmental finance, policy expertise, and on-ground implementation. Over the last 15 years, the Delhi-based firm has led more than 200 projects across India and globally, working in areas like climate change, biodiversity conservation, forestry, and sustainable agriculture.
IORA’s footprint now extends over 20 million hectares, spanning 27 Indian states, two union territories, and parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.
With climate resilience and rural development at its core, the MegCare program stands out for integrating carbon financing mechanisms with agroforestry to deliver both ecological and economic returns.
Caspian Impact Investments, known for backing mission-driven enterprises, sees IORA’s work as critical in today’s climate context. “IORA’s approach offers a scalable blueprint for climate adaptation and rural prosperity,” said a spokesperson from Caspian.
As India and the world push harder toward sustainability goals, IORA’s MegCare could serve as a replicable model for nature-aligned development that works for both people and the planet.
