In the early 2000s, Bengaluru was a city on the cusp of rapid urbanisation. For Kapil Sharma, a young engineering student at Ambedkar Institute of Technology, this transformation was exciting but increasingly distressing. He moved to Bengaluru in 2001, to pursue engineering. But by the time he graduated and found a new job as a software engineer in 2006, he had witnessed a worrisome change in the city’s landscape. The lush green cover, which once defined Bengaluru, was quickly disappearing, making way for roads, buildings, and urban sprawl.
“I used to travel for work from Vijayanagar to Outer Ring Road and I would see trees being cut down overnight. It was heartbreaking,” Kapil recalls. “I felt that if I didn’t do something about it, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.” This sense of urgency and responsibility marked the beginning of his journey into environmental activism, a path that would ultimately lead to the founding of SayTrees, an organisation dedicated to re-greening urban landscapes and supporting rural communities. SayTrees, a name that evokes positivity—“like saying cheese to a camera, a smile for nature,” says Sharma who is also a techie and currently based in the US working for Goldman Sachs.
Planting the First Seeds
Sharma’s initial steps were modest but impactful. Driven by the need to make a difference, he visited government officials to try to understand how the deforestation issue could be addressed. He learnt that the best and the only way is to plant saplings and nurture them with care.
As always, charity begins at home. In his neighborhood in Vijayanagar, he nurtured a single tamarind sapling, which he planted and cared for over a year. Determined to expand his efforts, he mobilised colleagues and friends, planting around 100 saplings near the Outer Ring Road with the support from his office. Every monsoon, he encouraged people to join him over the weekends to plant and nurture saplings, often collaborating with forest officials to gather insights on the planting process.
This small but steady movement grew in scale as Sharma focused on his mission to increase Bengaluru’s green cover. “We planted 1,100 saplings in one year, but I realised that even this wasn’t enough. However, my goal was simply to restore the lush green cover that my city was once known for.” he says.
The need to make a larger impact pushed him to leverage social media by 2010, using the platform to spread awareness and attract volunteers. His focus shifted to planting native saplings—such as honge, neem, and banyan trees—that were not only resilient but also ecologically beneficial. “I met forest officers who taught me what was best for the soil and ecosystem,” he adds.
Scaling new heights: SayTrees takes root
As his reforestation efforts gained momentum, Sharma continued to balance his work and environmental initiatives. By 2015, however, SayTrees had grown so much that his works were recognised by prominent environmental forums. This turning point coincided with an invitation to the World Forestry Congress in South Africa, a significant milestone that further solidified his commitment to environmental conservation.
Inspired by this experience, Sharma quickly diversified his initiatives, from reforestation to agroforestry.
Recognising the struggles faced by farmers in dry regions of rural India, Sharma introduced the Agroforestry for Farmers initiative, which supports farmers by providing them with saplings that can yield alternative sources of income.
In Andhra Pradesh, for instance, SayTrees supplied mango saplings to 11 farmers, helping them grow a sustainable income source. “Last year, one farmer sold six tonnes of mangoes,” Sharma notes proudly. Today, the initiative has scaled up, with the organization distributing 25 lakh saplings annually, aiming to double that number to 60 lakh next year.
Bringing the forest back: Miyawaki Plantations
One of SayTrees’ most innovative initiatives has been the adoption of the Miyawaki method, a Japanese technique of creating dense, native forests on small plots of land. Sharma introduced this method in Bengaluru in 2016, recognising its potential to bring back green cover in urban spaces lacking vegetation. The technique involves planting native trees close together, resulting in accelerated growth and richer biodiversity. SayTrees has since created over 100 such Miyawaki forests, each ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 saplings. “These forests are ten times more beneficial than regular plantations,” Kapil explains, citing increased carbon absorption and ecological diversity.
To date, SayTrees has planted approximately 2.5 lakh saplings in Bengaluru alone using this technique. “We focused on areas that were severely lacking in green cover,” he says. Some of the locations where Miyawaki based plantations are undertaken included Bannerghatta National Park, Sarjapur Road, Bidadi, Arigevarigutta, Bangarpet Railway station, Dobbaspet, and in other states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Beyond Trees: Water conservation and lake rejuvenation
In 2017, Kapil expanded SayTrees’ focus to include water conservation, addressing another pressing issue in Bengaluru—water scarcity. Recognising that tree planting alone wouldn’t solve the city’s water crisis, he initiated efforts to rejuvenate lakes and create sustainable water sources. With corporate funding, SayTrees began its first lake rejuvenation project at Vabasandra Lake. Treated water was used to irrigate saplings, while monsoon rain filled the lake, creating a reliable water source for the nearby communities.
Since then, SayTrees has rejuvenated over 10 lakes in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, and Anantapur. With plans to restore at least seven more lakes before the next monsoon, the techie’s vision extends even further: by 2030, SayTrees aims to rejuvenate 300 lakes, including 100 within Bengaluru alone. “We’re talking to the government and also the corporates to achieve this ambitious goal, Sharma says, emphasising the need for collaboration between public and private stakeholders. SayTrees has rejuvenated lakes such Nanjapura, Vabasandra, Konasandra, and Choodasandra among others.
Challenges and the road ahead
Despite these successes, Sharma acknowledges that his journey hasn’t been without obstacles. “The hardest part is convincing people that climate change is real and affecting our lives right now. Public awareness about environmental issues, especially on the rapid climate change remains limited. However, I strongly believe that persuading people to take action requires consistent effort and optimism,” asserts the ecopreneur.
At 41, Sharma’s goal is clear: to create a sustainable, greener future for Bengaluru and beyond. “By 2030, we want to make a significant impact both in terms of green cover and water conservation. More lakes need to be rejuvenated with the right inter connectedness to mitigate urban floodings. Seeing the lakes filled and trees growing is a reward,” he says.
For Kapil Sharma, a young engineering student at Ambedkar Institute of Technology, rapid urbanisation was exciting but increasingly distressing. 
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