As the world marked Earth Day, EBG Foundation launched ‘Sambhav Hai’, a nationwide initiative led by EBG Group Founder and Chairman Dr Irfan Khan to drive climate action at the grassroots and build stronger, sustainable rural communities. The programme has commenced with the adoption of Charla Thanda in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, creating a model for scalable village transformation.

Positioned as a major pillar of the Foundation’s nation-building agenda, the initiative aims to move beyond fragmented development through a unified, data-led framework. It targets a 10–20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions during the first year, progressing towards full carbon neutrality within three years.

The programme will be implemented in phases, beginning with 50 villages in Year 1 with an allocation of Rs 300 million. It will expand to 150 villages in Year 2 and further scale to 750 villages with support from government institutions, making it one of India’s most ambitious rural sustainability drives.

At Charla Thanda, work has started with household-level data mapping to create a climate and resource baseline. Planned interventions include safe drinking water access, groundwater recharge, waste segregation, composting, afforestation and regenerative land practices. Local volunteers are also being trained to sustain these efforts.

The village will function as a live demonstration of the ‘Minus One Village’ model, providing a blueprint for replication across regions. The Foundation stated that the initiative will also expand across multiple states as part of its wider national rollout.