Volvo Car India announced an expansion of its Reverse Project with a plantation initiative at Matri Van along the Gurugram-Faridabad Highway. Under its CSR initiative for FY25-26, the company will support the plantation of 20,000+ native trees over 20 acres of Aravalli land as part of the Community Barren Land Transformation Project, led by SankalpTaru Foundation in partnership with the Haryana Forest Department.
The initiative follows last year’s Reverse Project, where Volvo Car India converted an urban dump yard in Ghaziabad into a forest by planting over 35,000 trees. Participants in the current project will be allocated 2-3 geo-tagged saplings planted on their behalf.
The Aravalli range serves as a green barrier protecting Delhi-NCR from desertification and air pollution. However, decades of quarrying, urbanization, and ecological stress have resulted in significant land degradation. The Matri Van site features semi-arid terrain, eroded soils, sparse vegetation, and limited water availability.
The project aims to revive the deteriorated landscape into a self-sustaining forest ecosystem through scientifically planned plantation of climate-resilient native species, supporting cleaner air, enhanced biodiversity, and improved soil and water quality.
“At Volvo Car India, sustainability is central to our purpose. Our efforts under the Reverse Project continue to demonstrate how corporate responsibility can contribute meaningfully to the environment and local communities. The Matri Van plantation reflects our long-term commitment towards building a greener future for all and supporting India’s climate goals,” said Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India. The project uses geo-tagging of all plants, IoT-enabled monitoring, and community engagement to transform degraded land.
“Volvo Car’s support strengthens our mission to restore the Aravallis through scientifically planned, biodiversity-rich afforestation initiatives. With geo-tagging of all the plants, IoT-enabled monitoring and community engagement, the Matri Van project is transforming degraded land into a resilient, thriving ecosystem. This collaboration reflects how technology and purpose-driven partnerships can accelerate meaningful climate action,” said Apurva Bhandari, Founder of SankalpTaru Foundation.
Volvo Cars established its presence in India in 2007. The company currently markets products through 25 dealerships across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR (South Delhi, West Delhi, Gurgaon), Hyderabad, Indore, Raipur, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai (West and South), Pune, Raipur, Surat, Vishakhapatnam, and Vijayawada.