India is becoming a rising star in the global water sector – progress that is reflected in its ever-growing participation in IWA. Kala Vairavamoorthy looks at dimensions of the country’s growing influence.
Emerging economies across Latin America, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa are making bold investments in water supply, sanitation, and wastewater treatment, driven by the pressing demands of water security and sustainable development. Recognising wastewater as a valuable resource, these nations are embracing circular economy and decentralisation principles to build systems that are both resilient and financially sustainable.
Unlike the Global North, where it has taken decades of incremental progress to transform carbon-intensive systems into more efficient ones, the Global South has the unique opportunity to leapfrog directly to advanced solutions. By incorporating integrated urban water management and circular economy principles from the outset, these countries are reconstructing thinking around water infrastructure, so that it becomes a cornerstone of a sustainable, low-carbon future. In doing so, they are not only addressing their immediate needs but also positioning themselves as global leaders in innovative, climate conscious water solutions, setting new benchmarks for the world to follow.
Such innovative advancements in water management by emerging economies resonate strongly with the ambitious efforts of India to address its pressing water and sanitation challenges. During my recent visit to the country, including participation in the latest edition of India Water Week, I saw first-hand how the country is leveraging global collaborations and innovative approaches to transform its water systems. India stands out as a powerful example of how international partnerships are driving progress towards sustainable, resilient, future-fit water and sanitation solutions.
Challenges, progress, and global leadership
With only 4% of the world’s water resources – but home to 18% of its population – India faces severe water scarcity, where more than 100 million urban residents live with perennial shortages and another 125 million experience seasonal scarcity. The rapid depletion of groundwater – which supplies more than 80% of domestic needs – coupled with pollution affecting 70% of surface water resources highlights the complexity of the issues to be addressed to deliver sustainable, equitable supplies.
Drawing on global best practice through active engagement with international organisations, including IWA, India’s response to these challenges is multifaceted and collaborative. This exchange enables India to gain from successful global strategies while sharing its own innovative solutions with other emerging economies. Initiatives like Odisha’s Drink from Tap Mission, which aims to provide 24/7 potable water to urban households, reflects the scale and ambition of India’s vision. National programmes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) further underscore India’s commitment to ensuring universal access to sanitation and safe drinking water.
By fostering global partnerships and embracing knowledge exchange, India is both reshaping its water management strategies and at the same time establishing itself as a model for sustainable solutions within the global water community.
IWA and India
India’s growing involvement in IWA highlights its commitment to engaging with global best practice and sharing its own innovative solutions. Since the establishment of IWA’s India Chapter in 2018, India has significantly increased its presence in global water discussions, contributing to major IWA events, from the 2019 Water and Development Congress through to subsequent editions of the IWA World Water Congresses and Specialist Group Conferences. With the second-largest membership in the IWA network, the country’s participation reflects its strategy to merge international expertise with localised solutions.
At the 2024 World Water Congress and Exhibition in Toronto, India’s first-ever country pavilion, organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), showcased the transformation of the River Ganga and India’s leadership in sustainable water management.
Further cementing its role, India invited IWA to actively participate in the 8th India Water Week 2024, focusing on ‘Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management’.
This growing collaboration with IWA and the country’s active participation in global water discussions have laid a strong foundation for India to transform its water supply, sanitation, and wastewater systems.
A new vision for water and sanitation
India is embracing a new vision for water supply, sanitation, and wastewater management, guided by the principles of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM). This approach emphasises a diversified portfolio of solutions, combining conventional and non-conventional water sources to build resilience and adapt to evolving needs.
Inspired by models like Singapore’s Four National Taps, India is pioneering an ambitious approach. One example is the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), which has adopted the ‘Six Kudam (Pot) Approach’, integrating reclaimed water through tertiary sewage treatment, community-level rainwater harvesting, demand-side management, desalination, surface water reservoirs, and inter-basin transfers, The reclaimed water, used for non-potable industrial applications and indirect potable reuse with lakes as environmental buffers, highlights the potential for circular economy principles in urban water management. In addition, initiatives in Chennai such as the utilisation of abandoned quarries for stormwater storage demonstrate creativity in addressing water scarcity.
India’s water management strategy extends beyond urban areas, deeply rooted in its cultural and spiritual reverence for rivers. With more than half of its rivers polluted, this perspective has driven transformative efforts, including the NMCG.
This flagship initiative aims to restore the River Ganga as a vibrant ecosystem, respecting its sacred and ecological importance. Guided by a river-centric approach, the NMCG prioritises the river’s health in every decision, adopting a metaphorical ‘guardian lens’ to ensure that all actions and activities align with sustaining the river’s wellbeing. This commitment has led to the construction of more than 150 sewage treatment plants (STPs), significantly reducing untreated wastewater discharge while enhancing the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem. Importantly, the mission integrates lessons from past shortcomings to ensure sustainable and impactful outcomes. As this model expands to other river basins, India is redefining its rivers as essential lifelines and guardians of ecosystems.
By reimagining its sanitation systems, India is advancing a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that combine non-sewered sanitation (NSS), decentralised systems, and large-scale infrastructure. More than 1000 faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) address land and water pollution challenges, while states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Odisha are integrating NSS with existing sewage systems to create scalable sanitation models.
With respect to decentralisation, the State of Karnataka, of which Bengaluru is part, has introduced legislation allowing apartment complexes to sell 50% of their treated wastewater for non-potable uses, in turn creating a market for reclaimed water and providing an incentive for the efficient operation of 2500 on-site STPs in the city, highlighting the potential of policy innovation and market-driven solutions.
Alongside this, the city is transferring treated wastewater to rejuvenate more than 125 rural lakes for agriculture use, while advancing sludge processing to produce Class A biosolids and biogas production at centralised STPs, and exploring carbon credit opportunities for captured methane emissions.
Digital technology is increasingly becoming a key enabler in this transformation, with mature startups like SmartTerra and Solinas Integrity using AI, IoT, and robotics to improve system efficiency, detect leaks, and provide predictive maintenance. Forward-looking utilities in Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Pune, Cochin, Trivandrum, Mumbai and Kolkata are engaging their services to better understand their underground assets, and in turn improve their services.
Nationally, IWA’s Digital Water Programme, through its India sub-group, brings together experts and stakeholders to promote knowledge exchange and the adoption of digital tools suited to local contexts. These initiatives highlight India’s commitment to using technology as an enabler to address water challenges, optimise resources, and build climate-resilient infrastructure. By combining innovative technology, traditional wisdom, and global partnerships, India is transforming water and sanitation delivery, ensuring equitable access, preserving rivers, and sustaining ecosystems. This change is fuelled by a dynamic hub of research institutions, startups, and utilities driving local innovation with global reach.
Harnessing local strengths for global impact
India has established a robust, dynamic and agile system that is facilitating a transformation of its water and sanitation infrastructure. This ecosystem is built on three foundational pillars: research and development (R&D) centres generating groundbreaking ideas, incubation hubs and startups commercialising these innovations, and forward-thinking utilities eager to transform their operations. Together, these elements create a synergy that is paving the way for a future where India’s water and sanitation systems are efficient, resilient, and adaptable to emerging challenges.
Academic institutions are at the heart of this transformation, serving as hubs for innovation, experimentation, and education. Renowned institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, BITS Pilani, TERI University, and CEPT University are not only training the next generation of water professionals but also advancing solutions that align with global sustainable development objectives.
Institutions like CEPT University’s Centre for Water and Sanitation (C-WAS) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), as part of the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Alliance, are at the forefront of advancing NSS in India. They work with urban local bodies on capacity building, documenting successful case studies, and shaping policies, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). CSE has launched platforms like Menu on Un-Networked Technologies (MOUNT) to disseminate knowledge and drive innovation, while C-WAS pilots NSS approaches in Maharashtra, serving as a model for more than 300 urban local bodies.
As India’s regional hub for the Global Sanitation Graduate School, CEPT University integrates city-wide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) into academic curricula, working with institutions like BITS Pilani Goa, IIT Roorkee, IIT Palakkad, Pune University, and Manipal University, alongside partners such as BORDA South Asia and NIUA, to expand the reach of best practice and implementation models.
Institutions like IIT Madras are driving innovation in water reclamation and reuse, exemplified by its collaboration with the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) on a celebrated 10 mld tertiary treatment plant in Nesapakkam, which adopts Porur Lake as an environmental buffer.
At IIT Bombay, Pradip Kalbar is focused on improving intermittent water supply systems and optimising networks, particularly in resource-limited regions of Maharashtra and West Bengal. His research offers cost-effective, practical engineering solutions like multi-outlet storage tanks, shafts, and manifolds that can be integrated in existing infrastructure to enhance quality of water access, emphasising the optimisation of existing systems, rather than pursuing 24/7 water supply. These institutions demonstrate how research can lead to practical, scalable solutions capable of transforming India’s water and sanitation landscape.
This environment facilitates incubators and innovation hubs that play a critical role in bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. The Administrative Staff College of India’s (ASCI) WASH Innovation Hub collaborates with more than 600 startups, accelerating innovation in wastewater treatment, lake management, and geospatial technologies, while platforms like INK@WASH showcase innovative solutions and educate decision-makers about practical applications. The International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), associated with IIT Madras, supports startups from conception to implementation, with alumni like Solinas and SmartTerra, mentioned above, gaining international recognition for their contributions. Similarly, the Global Sanitation Centre of Excellence (GSCOE), IIT Palakkad, focuses on advancing non-biological wastewater treatment solutions, IoT solutions, and nurturing innovative ventures like Haricken Process Intensification and T-CON UNIFLOW.
India’s progressive utilities, such as those in Chennai, Bengaluru and Bhubaneshwar, are transforming water and sanitation systems by embracing innovation in water reclamation, sludge processing, asset management, and NRW reduction, by collaborating with R&D institutions, capacity-building organisations, and startups. By adopting cutting-edge technologies and exploring new business models, such as carbon financing, they are addressing the need for sustainable, inclusive infrastructure in the face of rapid urbanisation.
This dynamic ecosystem of research, commercialisation, and implementation positions India as a leader in water management, blending local innovation with global best practices to tackle critical challenges. Additionally, the growing involvement of universities and young professionals connecting with global networks, including IWA, is advancing knowledge and driving sustainable solutions in the sector.
Establishment of student chapters
India’s water sector is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by young professionals and forward-thinking academic institutions eager to connect with global networks. IWA’s Young Water Professionals (YWP) India Chapter, established in 2022, is central to this change, offering mentorship, networking, and knowledge-sharing platforms to build a future-ready workforce for the country’s water challenges.
Universities from smaller cities, such as the Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology, NICMAR University and the Puducherry Technological University, are also joining this movement by establishing IWA Student Clubs. These clubs encourage discussion, leverage IWA’s global network, accessing experts and innovation, and enhance collaboration on water sector trends and challenges. This broad engagement reflects India’s commitment to inclusive development in the water sector.
Young professionals in India are also making their mark through active engagement in key IWA initiatives. Programmes such as the LeaP leadership programme for YWPs and the IWA-Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship are providing invaluable global exposure and practical insights. These opportunities not only enhance the professional capacity of YWPs but also empower them to contribute meaningfully towards achieving critical Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Engagement with the international community
India’s growing collaboration with IWA exemplifies its commitment to advancing water management through shared knowledge and innovation. By engaging with global expertise and contributing its own solutions, India is fostering a meaningful exchange that strengthens domestic initiatives while enriching the broader water community.
This is a dynamic partnership – one that is supporting India in its mission to adopt cutting-edge practice, address its pressing water challenges, and position itself as a leader in sustainable water management. Aided by immersion in the IWA network, we see that India provides a beacon of how countries in the Global South can transform water management in an agile environment, unhindered by traditional, inflexible, engineered solutions, and lead the way towards a sustainable, equitable, and resilient water future.
The author:
Kala Vairavamoorthy is the CEO of the International Water Association
