The fundamental cause of India's agriculture issue is a lack of water, which is deteriorating sanitation and endangering people's health. Experts contend that in order to establish a future where water is sustainable, technology and cutting-edge innovations are essential and that the water issue in India and around the world cannot be resolved with traditional and crude methods of management. These startups are making it possible for both public and private organizations to achieve this.

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Startups aiming to solve the water crisis by leveraging technology:

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Swajal:

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This WaterTech social impact startup is working towards democratizing access to reliable and clean drinking water by making it accessible and affordable to all. The startup leverages technology innovatively to tackle the water challenge. Their proprietary water ATMs are energy-efficient systems that use solar energy for water purification and vending, have easy-to-use user interfaces and payment mechanisms, IoT-based remote monitoring capabilities built into the cloud platforms (making repairs, upgrades, etc. seamless). These features enable continuous water access even in remote regions with unreliable grids.

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WEGoT:

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WEGoT is a social impact startup that seeks to provide data-based utility (Water, Electricity, Gas) management platform to help families make a difference to the environment and their budgets. The founders believe that the right data and insights on water availability and consumption provide the right foundation for water conversation and will reduce water use by 50% overtime.

The IoT-based, end-to-end water management solution – VenAqua, an economical ultrasonic sensor – from WEGoT enables clients (households, residential complexes and multistory buildings) to capture and understand water availability from different sources, their real-time water use patterns, leaks and wastages, etc. across multiple inlets and outlets and thereby, effectively manage their water and minimize costs. VenAqua can also track water treatment plants, sewage treatments plants, etc. for operational parameters and provide timely alerts for repairs, break downs, system failure, etc.

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Uravu Labs:

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Started with the vision of building a water sustainable future where there are no dry taps and women don’t have to walk miles in search of water, Uravu Labs leverages solar power and cutting-edge tech innovations to source safe drinking water from thin air and improve access to clean and safe water.

The patent-pending microgrid aquapanel – EVA – utilizes 100% solar thermal energy to convert water vapor in the air into water and works effectively in all climatic conditions (even dry and arid areas) in a reliable manner. These aquapanels can provide abundant drinking water supply to schools, hospitals, entire communities and small factories even if they are in remote regions as these are off-the-grid solutions which do not require existing infrastructure (electricity, water, etc.). Having won awards and having been shortlisted as finalists in several global level challenges (Water Abundance XPRIZE, etc.), Uravu Labs is continuing to pitch at several other challenges and is currently crowdsourcing funds.

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Agua:

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Founded with a mission of saving water through technology and enabling fair distribution of this scarce resource, Agua Water Systems are highly intelligent, wireless, one-of-a-kind water management system that allows seamless access to water inlets, outlets and meters. This Plug and Play system leverages AI to equip users with smart insights on water usage, water levels in different sources and thereby, plan and control their water consumption. This solution enables users to save up to 40% water, saving lakhs of rupees spent on water bills by large apartment complexes. This startup has won many awards and accolades including the SME Excellence Award for Research and Development 2015 from Karnataka Small and Medium Business Owner Association.

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Khyeti:

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Small farmers’ lives and livelihoods are often adversely impacted by factors beyond their control – monsoon failures, poor electrification, costly inputs, poor water yield and so on. Based on this understanding, this social impact startup came up with the technology-based, modular Greenhouse-in-a-Box to help small and marginal farmers to overcome these challenges, producing 7 times more output with 90% less water and earning steady income from their farms. It is designed to fit in 2% of the farmland and costs only 50% of what a regular greenhouse would. The farmers receive forward and backward linkage support too. Water being a scarce commodity in large parts of rural India, 90% water savings on agriculture is a big leap forward.

Creating a water sustainable future is critical and these are some of the startups that are propelling us towards it with their cutting-edge technological innovations.

To sum up, companies addressing the water shortage are proving that creativity is essential to conquering this worldwide issue. Through adoption of their technology and encouragement of their expansion, we can guarantee long-term sustainable water management. By working together and investing in our joint efforts, we can secure clean, accessible water for future generations and make a meaningful difference.

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