Nagpur: A sweeping ecological restoration effort covering 800 acres around the Tadoba–Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is set to begin under a state-backed initiative that has drawn a substantial commitment from fintech company Zerodha and the philanthropic Rainmatter Foundation.The project, rooted in the principle of rewilding — restoring landscapes with minimal human intervention — flows from a proposal championed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to strengthen forest ecosystems in eastern Maharashtra.Under the plan, Maharashtra’s forest department will work with the conservation group Farmers for Forests and the two corporate partners to revive grasslands, natural vegetation, and local biodiversity in the buffer of the iconic reserve. A dedicated ₹100 crore Zerodha Rewilding Fund has been created to support the initiative. Officials said the formal agreement among the participating agencies will be signed shortly.Rewilding, widely recognised as a long-term approach to repairing disrupted habitats, will be implemented for the first time at this scale in Maharashtra. The project aims to move away from monoculture plantations and shift towards biodiversity-rich restoration, part of a broader plan to arrest ecological degradation in climate-sensitive regions.Zerodha has pledged 10% of its profits toward environmental and social programmes through its foundation arm. Announcing its investment on the company’s 15th anniversary, the firm said the fund would be used to revive ecologically critical landscapes across India, including the Tadoba site.CM Fadnavis welcomed the collaboration, saying he was “extremely encouraged to see corporate partners supporting a project that strengthens Vidarbha’s ecological future.” He added that the partnership with the forest department and civic conservation groups “will set an important example not just for Maharashtra, but for corporate environmental responsibility nationwide.”