From Waste to Wonder: How INK Fellow Tarun Jami is Transforming Construction with Carbon-Negative Concrete

Concrete is choking the planet. Every home, office, and highway constructed with traditional cement-based materials releases more carbon than all cars on the road—more even than the aviation industry! INK Fellow Tarun Jami, a civil engineer, could not ignore this reality. “We’re quite literally building our way into climate catastrophe,” he warns. Determined to tackle one of the planet’s biggest climate challenges, Tarun founded GreenJams, a company focused on creating Agrocrete—the world’s first carbon-negative bio-concrete.

When Tarun launched GreenJams in 2019, his goal was ambitious: to cut 10% of global CO₂ emissions by revolutionizing the building industry. “Buildings account for up to 50% of emissions in some countries. We need to change what we use to build,” he says.

GreenJams’ flagship product, Agrocrete, is a game-changer. Unlike conventional concrete, which releases significant CO₂ during production, Agrocrete captures more carbon than it emits. “We lock away carbon inside the material, reversing climate damage,” explains Tarun. Agrocrete is also 40% lighter than standard concrete, has excellent thermal insulation, and even performs better in earthquakes. It is made using agricultural waste, like paddy straw and sugarcane bagasse, that would otherwise be burned or left to decompose. Developing Agrocrete took years of research. “I had to solve the problem of strength and durability while keeping the material lightweight and carbon negative,” he recalls.

Localized Manufacturing

GreenJams’ mission goes beyond environmental impact. With factories in Vizag and Goa, and another planned in Bengaluru, the company sources agricultural waste locally to minimize transportation emissions, benefiting farmers and industries. Tarun emphasizes the importance of decentralizing production: “For every 300 km radius, we set up a local manufacturing unit to meet construction needs sustainably.” This process has already reduced CO₂ emissions by three tons annually.

Now focused on scaling, GreenJams is raising $2 million to build more factories. “We’ve proven Agrocrete works. Now we need investment to grow,” Tarun says. GreenJams is working with early adopters like ITC, Infosys, and Amazon, who are eager to embrace sustainability in their building projects.

For his innovations, Tarun was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree and featured by the World Economic Forum’s Circular Accelerator program. “India is innovation-friendly, and we’re making progress. I know we can have a global impact,” he says. “This isn’t just about better materials—it’s about a future where people and the planet thrive.”