ClimateAI CEO- Himanshu Gupta conferred the highest civilian honor for his homestate- Uttar Pradesh by the Vice President of India and Chief Minister- Yogi Adityanath
Himanshu Gupta, CEO & Co-founder of ClimateAi, has been honored with the prestigious Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Presented by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the award recognizes individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of Uttar Pradesh and the nation.
Reflecting on the honor, Gupta said: “It’s always a great feeling to be recognized by your home state where I got inspired to build my career in Climate Change. It also reflects the change in mindset of the state government under the exemplary leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to focus on some of the most significant risks and opportunities for the state of Uttar Pradesh and the individuals who can meaningfully contribute to his vision of making the state a $1 trillion economy.”
For Gupta, this award is deeply personal. Born and raised in Uttar Pradesh, he grew up witnessing firsthand the hardships brought by climate change. He recalls walking with his mother for half a mile to fetch water from a river during drought years and watching his grandfather carefully budgeting for groceries when food prices soared.
These early experiences shaped his commitment to climate action. Gupta began his career in public policy with the Government of India, specializing in renewable energy and climate, including leading India’s modeling efforts for the Paris Climate Accords. Over time, he collaborated with global leaders in energy and climate policy, such as former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Lord Nicholas Stern, and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of India’s Planning Commission.
While pursuing a dual master’s degree in Business Administration and Climate Science at Stanford University, Gupta co-founded ClimateAi. The company aims to empower businesses and farmers with innovative climate adaptation solution s, leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to address the pressing challenges of a changing climate.
Driving Impact in India
Some of ClimateAi’s most impactful initiatives have taken place in India, where the organization has leveraged advanced climate modeling to support smallholder farming and climate resilience:
Predicting a 30% drop in tomato output in Maharashtra over the next two decades
ClimateAi ran simulations for farmers in Maharashtra, India, and found that extreme heat and drought would lead to an approximately 30% decrease in tomato output in the region over the next two decades. Our insights have helped a seed company accelerate the development of drought-resistant seeds for local smallholder farmers
Deploying adaptation playbooks for smallholder farmers in Madhya Pradesh
ClimateAi worked with a large food business in India to implement adaptation playbooks for nearly 100,000 farmers across 300 villages. By switching to a climate-resilient wheat variety, productivity increased by 40%
