<p>Mangrove ecosystems are vital in mitigating climate change because of their significant capacity to sequester and store carbon in the coastal and marine habitats. This study compiled and analyzed data on carbon stocks reported from various mangrove habitats across India. A systematic review of published carbon values from Indian mangrove forests revealed that the average carbon stored in biomass, including above-ground carbon and below-ground carbon, was 109 ± 48 Mg C ha^− 1, while the average carbon in sediments was 48.3 ± 8.8 Mg C ha^− 1. Based on this the total ecosystem carbon, is estimated to be 157.3 ± 56.8 Mg C ha^− 1 and the total carbon standing stock could be about 78.52 ± 28.35 Tg C for the total mangrove area of India. However, all the reported values are likely underestimated, possibly due to differences in methodologies used to estimate carbon stocks, which can create ambiguities among studies. For global or national climate change mitigation efforts focused on conserving and restoring these ecosystems, it is essential to assess carbon stocks using standardized international methods. This underscores the need for government agencies, and forest departments to establish and adhere to uniform guidelines for efficient assessment of the carbon stored in these blue carbon habitats.</p>