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DS Group appoints Subrat Chakravarty as corporate CHRO
NATIONAL: DS Group has appointed Subrat Chakravarty as corporate CHRO, tasking him with leading the conglomerate’s human resources function and driving its people and process transformation agenda. The appointment comes as the FMCG-focused group sharpens its push towards building a future-ready organisation aligned with long-term growth ambitions.
Chakravarty brings more than three decades of human resources experience across global and Indian organisations, spanning technology, consulting and consumer businesses. His career includes senior leadership roles at HCL Technologies, Aon Hewitt, L&T Infotech, IPCL and Bata India, where he focused on large-scale HR transformation, talent management and organisational design. His work has blended HR technology, data analytics and human judgement to align people strategies with business outcomes.
DS Group senior vice president–corporate strategy and business development Anshu Dewan, said Chakravarty’s track record in leading complex HR transformations would be critical as the group strengthens its position as a leading FMCG conglomerate. Chakravarty said DS Group’s legacy and forward-looking vision offered an opportunity to build technology- and process-led people strategies aligned with the group’s values and business objectives.
Chakravarty holds a postgraduate degree in personnel management and industrial relations from Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi, and a bachelor’s degree in economics (honours) from St Xavier’s College, Ranchi.
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Amazon inks $30m carbon credit deal with Indian rice farmers
Methane-cutting farming push links climate goals with farmer income
NEW DELHI: Amazon has signed a $30 million agreement to purchase carbon credits generated by Indian rice farmers, marking one of the largest agriculture-linked carbon deals in the country to date and signalling a shift in how corporates approach climate action.
The agreement is being executed through the Good Rice Alliance, a collaboration between Bayer, GenZero, and Shell Nature-Based Solutions, backed by Singapore’s Temasek. Rather than dealing directly with individual farmers, Amazon is tapping into this alliance to scale the programme efficiently.
At the heart of the initiative is a relatively simple shift in farming practice known as Alternate Wetting and Drying. Traditionally, rice paddies remain flooded, creating oxygen-free conditions that produce methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. Under the new method, fields are periodically allowed to dry, disrupting methane formation while maintaining crop yields.
The benefits go beyond emissions. The approach significantly reduces water usage, a crucial advantage in regions already facing water stress. For farmers, it also opens up a new income stream. By adopting climate-friendly techniques, they earn carbon credits that can be sold to companies like Amazon, effectively turning sustainability into a revenue opportunity.
The current phase of the project covers more than 13,000 smallholder farmers across roughly 35,000 hectares. Amazon expects the initiative to offset about 685,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, offering a measurable contribution to its broader climate commitments.
The deal is notable not just for its scale but for its direction. While many companies have historically focused on forestry or renewable energy offsets, this move highlights growing interest in agriculture-based solutions that tackle methane emissions directly. It also reflects the increasing sophistication of carbon markets, where even small, decentralised farms can be integrated into global climate strategies.
For India, the implications are significant. As the world’s largest rice producer and one of the biggest methane emitters, scaling such models could play a meaningful role in meeting climate targets while supporting rural livelihoods.
For Amazon, the message is clear. Climate action is no longer just about reducing emissions within operations. It is also about reshaping supply chains and ecosystems. And in this case, the path to net zero runs straight through the paddy fields.
