Allcargo Group’s Avashya Foundation is expanding Project Maitree with 3,00,000 saplings across 81 villages in Maharashtra.
Allcargo Group, through its CSR arm Avashya Foundation, is scaling its flagship Project Maitree in FY27, targeting 3,00,000 saplings across 81 villages in Maharashtra and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for 5,000 farmers and their families. The initiative aims to integrate environmental conservation with sustainable livelihood development by supporting rural and tribal communities through plantation-based livelihood opportunities, while promoting greener communities and long-term economic resilience.
As part of the FY 2026-27 afforestation programme, approximately 3,00,000 plants were distributed across the Palghar, Raigad, Nashik and Amravati districts of Maharashtra. In Palghar and Nashik, 2,20,000 plants were distributed, benefiting around 4,400 farmers, while a further 30,000 plants were distributed in Raigad and Karjat, benefiting approximately 600 farmers. These interventions supported farmers in integrating fruit tree-based cultivation into their agricultural practices.
In Amravati, 50,000 plants were distributed through a community-based model, enabling the wider village community to participate in and benefit from the initiative. The approach encouraged collective ownership of the plantation effort and strengthened community participation in environmental conservation. Overall, the programme reached approximately 5,000 farmers across the Raigad, Palghar, Nashik and Amravati districts, promoting a mix of fruit-bearing, timber and multipurpose species including mango, cashew, teak, lemon, guava, custard apple, jackfruit and bamboo.
Dr Nilratan Shende, Head of CSR at Allcargo Group, said Project Maitree was built on the belief that environmental conservation and livelihood creation could reinforce each other. He said enabling farmers to develop productive plantation assets alongside their existing agricultural activities was aimed at creating opportunities for additional income while strengthening the ecological resilience of rural communities, adding that this year’s expansion would help deepen that impact across more villages and households.
A key focus of the programme is to create alternative livelihood opportunities closer to home. As the plantations mature, fruit-bearing and multipurpose species are expected to become productive assets for participating households, supporting additional income and reducing dependence on seasonal migration. The FY 2026-27 programme is being implemented with the support of Digant Swaraj Foundation, Light of Life Trust and Khoj Foundation, which are facilitating community mobilisation, plantation planning, sapling distribution, training and field-level monitoring.
The latest phase builds on Project Maitree’s broader environmental intervention, which has already facilitated the plantation of over 1.6 million trees across Maharashtra. With the addition of 3 lakh plantations this year, the initiative aims to further connect environmental conservation with livelihood diversification and community development.
