In scattered clearings across the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, small groups move through thickets that were once difficult to enter. They cut, pull, and uproot a plant that has tightened its grip on this landscape for decades: Lantana camara.

What was once impenetrable is now being opened up, patch by patch, by the very communities that have lived alongside these forests for generations.

At the centre of this shift is TAMS Tribal Green Fuels Private Limited, a tribal-led enterprise turning Lantana camara, one of the world’s most aggressive invasive plants, into industrial fuel. Through this work, conservation, livelihood, ownership, and restoration are being brought into the same system.

Since beginning operations in May 2024, the company has sold 808 tonnes of lantana briquettes, supported around 350 tribal members through regular livelihood opportunities, and cleared nearly 150 acres within the core area of the reserve.

In total, including short-term and restoration-related work, employment has reached around 430 people.

The model is simple: remove a species that chokes forests, convert it into a marketable energy source, and ensure that the value generated flows back to the community and the land.

Why lantana matters to the forest

Introduced to India in the 1800s as an ornamental plant, lantana later escaped gardens and spread across forests. According to a 2020 study reported by Mongabay India, lantana occupies nearly 40% of India’s tiger habitats, covering over 150,000 square kilometres.

In Sathyamangalam, an expanse of 1,408 square kilometres that connects the Western and Eastern Ghats, its presence has reshaped the forest floor.

The plant forms dense, woody thickets that block sunlight and alter soil chemistry, making it difficult for native grasses and shrubs to grow beneath it.

As grazing grounds shrink, herbivores lose access to food, predators follow changing prey patterns, and communities find it harder to access forest produce. Over time, the forest begins to function differently.

How removal turns into revenue

The TAMS model works at multiple levels, with decentralisation at its core.

Removal begins at the village level. Tribal shareholders from the communities........

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