4 Indian startups aiming to solve water crisis
On World Water Day, here’s a look at a few startups that are taking efforts to conserve water, provide clean drinking water, and solve other water-related issues.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) index for clean water and sanitation ranges between 100 and 54 for Indian states and union Territories (UT), as of 2021.
Access to clean drinking water is a critical issue in India. With a population of 1.38 billion people, India is the second most populated country in the world and around 6 percent of the population lack access to safe water.
And trying to bridge this gap are a host of startups who have leveraged technology to beat an unimaginable crisis- severe shortage of clean drinking water. The global water quality analyzer market was valued at $ 3169.2 million in 2021, and is expected to reach $4,596.3 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 5.5 percent, according to MarketWatch report.
On World Water Day, YourStory lists a few startups that are innovating for clean drinking water solutions -
WEGoT
Founded in 2015 by Abilash Haridass, Mohamed Mohideen, Sundeep Donthamshetty, and Vijay Krishna, Chennai-based provides integrated water management solutions in real-time to prevent and address water crisis.
The WEGoT water meter
The IoT-based water management startup uses its proprietary IoT device and software to cut-down water demand by more than 50 percent by detecting drop spills and water theft in real-time. It can be connected with water pipes to monitor water consumption.
"India is gradually beginning to realise the importance of water and how to use it smartly. Traditional water meters detect air passing through pipes that causes errors in reading. In addition, leakages, abnormal usage, and open taps are not detected by traditional water meters. WEGoT’s R & D team has solved this and has developed a high precision smart water meter that can provide data that is of interest to multiple stakeholders: utilities, homeowners, insurance companies, maintenance providers, facility managers, government organisations, and research foundations," said Vijay in an earlier conversation with YourStory.
Ekam Eco Solutions
Founded in 2013 by Uttam Banerjee, Sachin Joshi, and Dr VM Chariar, Delhi-based Ekam Eco Solutions' startup target is to build humane and clean sanitation systems, and design sustainable methods to utilise them. Its offerings are waterless urinals, natural cleaners, sewage care products, and food composting structures.
"Unscientific waste disposal and inadequate sanitation facilities affect both the health of humans and the environment they live in. The intention behind starting Ekam was to safeguard the wellbeing of people at large, and at the same time, conserve all natural resources, including water," said Uttam Banerjee in an earlier chat with YourStory.
Nimble Vision
Founded in 2017 by Chinnayya Math and Vaishali Math, Bengaluru-based provides IoT-based products for smart water measurement and conservation. It provides a WiFi-based smart water level controller and metre for homes and apartments.
The IoT unit
The product gives real-time status updates on the overhead water tank status on a user's phone, water consumption details every 10 minutes, as well as weekly, monthly, and yearly water usage history. It likewise has a spillage detector and tracker for sump water levels, and can consequently place the order with the supplier via SMS or email.
"We have put together IoT, social networking, data, and smart notifications. This solution has evolved in recent years with continuous improvement based on customer feedback. It is a complete platform and every problem with respect to water can be addressed with our solution," said Chinnayya in a previous conversation with YourStory.
Uravu Labs
, a Bengaluru-based water tech startup founded in 2019 by Pardeep, Swapnil Shrivastav, Venkatesh R, and Govinda Balaji, has developed a technology that is 100 percent renewable and uses environmental moisture and renewable energy to create drinking water.
It uses a thermo- sensitive hygroscopic material to catch water-vapour from the air, and generous solar thermal energy to power the method of discharge and conversion to fluid water.
"Uravu Labs is changing the landscape by bringing the first-ever 100 percent renewable water technology that is scalable, affordable, and can be used in multiple applications," said Pardeep Garg.
Swajal
Founded in 2014 by Vibha Tripathi, Kanpur-based serves water that is mineralised, and cleansed with ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis (RO) technology. The water is derived from lakes, rivers, and wells using pumps powered by solar energy.
The water purification system is powered by solar energy, making the drive truly green!
"We manufacture our systems locally in India. This allows us to tightly control our products and innovate with a quick turnaround time. We have focused on the drinking water needs of the bottom of the pyramid." said Dr Vibha Tripathi in an earlier conversation.
In February 2021, the startup raised $ 1.6 million from Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) and others for innovation and research to make drinking water more accessible, sustainable and plastic-free.
Edited by Anju Narayanan