6 Startups working in India's water sector
Image: Needpix

6 Startups working in India's water sector

India is at the forefront of tackling global water challenges, with startups innovating across various sectors to ensure sustainable water management. Here's a detailed look at six promising startups addressing the water crisis with innovative solutions.

These groundbreaking startups are transforming water management in India through cutting-edge technologies and eco-friendly solutions. Utilising IoT-based systems and renewable water production techniques, they are tackling significant issues and setting the stage for a sustainable water future.

1. DigitalPaani: IoT-Driven Water Asset Management

Revolutionising Water Asset Management (Image: DigitalPaani)
Revolutionising Water Asset Management (Image: DigitalPaani)

Founded: 2020
Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana

Recognizing the global water crisis impacting 2 billion people, Mansi Jain and Rajesh Jain founded DigitalPaani in 2020 to address inefficiencies in water asset management through an IoT-enabled platform. The solution enhances operational efficiency, reduces costs, and optimizes water quality across industrial and municipal facilities.

DigitalPaani offers a comprehensive IoT-based platform designed to monitor and optimise water infrastructure. By integrating IoT technology, DigitalPaani enhances operational efficiency while offering predictive maintenance solutions, helping users proactively address issues like pipe leaks and water wastage​. Their system provides:

  • Real-time assessments of water assets.

  • Process automation for municipal and industrial water treatment plants.

  • Automated chemical dosing recommendations to improve water quality and reduce operational costs.

Business Model:

  • Direct Sales: A one-time fee with IoT-enabled features for in-house management.

  • Service Partnerships: End-to-end operations handled by service providers on a subscription basis.

With clients like Amazon and Britannia, DigitalPaani aims to expand to 175 plants and target 4,000 buildings across India and internationally by 2026.

2. WEGoT Utility Solutions: Smart Water Monitoring

Real-time water management for real-time impact (Image: Wegot)
Real-time water management for real-time impact (Image: Wegot)

Founded: 2015
Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

WEGoT has developed a high-precision IoT-enabled smart water meter that provide India’s residents, businesses and industries the means to monitor and control their water consumption – and help India address water shortages, WEGoT introduced the Aqua system. This solution features highly accurate ultrasonic sensors in a LoRaWAN® network that provides building and facility owners and managers real-time data on water flow, pressure, and quality. It monitors:

  • Water usage in real-time.

  • Leak detection and water theft alerts.

  • Accurate measurement of water consumption in households and industries.

Their system helps users reduce water consumption by up to 50%, addressing water shortages in urban areas while providing valuable data to stakeholders like utilities, homeowners, and facility managers​.

The system has been shown to reduce water use in large residential facilities by approximately 50 percent, and bring owners an RoI in 12 months.

Business Model:

  • WEGoT operates on a SaaS model, initially acquiring clients through personal networks and referrals. It now serves residential apartments and commercial spaces like IT parks, malls, hospitals, and industries.

  • The product is provided for free, with users paying a monthly fee ranging from ₹149 to ₹349 per residence, while commercial clients are charged ₹0.20 per sq. ft., plus installation costs.

  • Key clients include Brigade, Casa Grande, Infosys Foundation, Danfoss, Zoho, and Ascendas. Since its inception with ₹1 crore in seed funding, the bootstrapped startup has achieved 100% year-on-year growth. The startup is also part of Brigade REAP, a leading proptech accelerator.

3. Uravu Labs: Solar-Powered Atmospheric Water Generation

Uravu Labs has developed a renewable water technology which utilises inexhaustible atmospheric moisture and only renewable energy to produce high quality drinking water. (Image: Uravu Labs)
Uravu Labs has developed a renewable water technology which utilises inexhaustible atmospheric moisture and only renewable energy to produce high quality drinking water. (Image: Uravu Labs)

Founded: 2019
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Uravu Labs is transforming atmospheric moisture into potable water using a 100% renewable process:

  • They employ thermo-sensitive hygroscopic materials to absorb water vapor from the air.

  • Solar thermal energy powers the system to convert the moisture into clean drinking water.

This scalable technology is ideal for remote and off-grid locations, offering a sustainable solution to water scarcity in India.

Business Model

  • Direct Sales: Clients purchase water-generation units (20–2000 LPD) for on-site renewable water production with minimal operating costs.

  • Water-as-a-Service (WaaS): Uravu retains ownership of the equipment and supplies renewable water to clients on a pay-per-use basis, eliminating upfront costs for businesses​.

The startup leverages solar, waste heat, and biomass as energy sources, making its solution cost-effective and suitable across diverse geographies​.

4. Swajal: Solar-Powered Water Purification

Swajal has established over 500 water ATMs across India, supplying millions of liters of safe drinking water while substantially cutting down on plastic waste. (Image: Swajal)
Swajal has established over 500 water ATMs across India, supplying millions of liters of safe drinking water while substantially cutting down on plastic waste. (Image: Swajal)

Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Swajal, founded in 2014 by Dr. Vibha Tripathi and her son Advait Kumar, is a pioneering Indian startup focused on providing affordable and clean drinking water through solar-powered water ATMs.

These decentralised water purification systems that utilize advanced technologies like reverse osmosis (RO) and ultraviolet (UV) filtration. These machines draw water from local sources such as wells, ponds, or rivers, purify it, and dispense clean drinking water for as low as ₹0.50 per liter.

Business Model

Swajal operates on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model and partners with local vendors or government bodies to install and manage the Water ATMs. Revenue is generated from:

  • Water Sales: Users pay a small fee for each liter of water dispensed.

  • Machine Sales: Selling Water ATMs to institutions, municipalities, and NGOs.

  • Service Agreements: Offering maintenance and IoT-based monitoring services.

With over 500 installations across India, Swajal has delivered millions of liters of clean water while significantly reducing plastic waste. The company is expanding to new markets in South Asia, including Bangladesh and Nepal, and aims to establish a presence in Southeast Asia.

5. Nimble Vision: IoT for Water Conservation

Builds IoT-based products for water measurement and conservation (Image: Nimble Vision)
Builds IoT-based products for water measurement and conservation (Image: Nimble Vision)

Founded: 2017
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Founded in 2017 by Chinnayya Math and Vaishali Math, Nimble Vision offers IoT-powered solutions for water conservation and management. Their primary product is a WiFi-enabled smart water level controller and meter, designed to optimize water usage in residential and commercial spaces. Key offerings cover -

  • Smart water management system: Provides real-time updates on water tank levels, consumption patterns, and historical usage (daily, weekly, monthly).

  • Automated alerts: Users receive notifications about abnormal water usage, leaks, or overflows.

  • Sump level monitoring: Tracks underground water storage and can automate refills from suppliers via SMS or email.

  • Data analytics: Offers water consumption insights, helping users reduce waste and improve efficiency.

Business Model: Nimble Vision targets both B2B and B2C markets, providing solutions for individual homes, apartment complexes, and industrial facilities. Their revenue model revolves around selling IoT devices and offering a subscription-based service for real-time monitoring and analytics.

6. Ekam Eco Solutions: Sustainable Sanitation

Ekam Eco Solutions is an Indian startup company that markets products related to ecological sanitation and sustainable living. (Image: Ekam Eco Solutions)
Ekam Eco Solutions is an Indian startup company that markets products related to ecological sanitation and sustainable living. (Image: Ekam Eco Solutions)

Founded: 2013
Headquarters: New Delhi

Ekam Eco Solutions focuses on water conservation through eco-friendly sanitation systems:

  • Waterless urinals that reduce water usage in public spaces.

  • Natural sewage care products that treat wastewater efficiently.

  • Food composting structures for sustainable waste management.

Their mission is to promote hygiene and environmental sustainability by conserving water resources in urban and rural areas​.

Its flagship product, Zerodor, is a waterless urinal system that eliminates the need for flushing, saving up to 1.5 lakh liters of water annually per unit. This system also prevents pollution by enabling urine to be collected and processed for use as fertiliser​.

In addition to its waterless urinals, Ekam offers natural cleaning and deodorizing products, including solutions for septic tanks and sewage treatment plants (STPs). Ekam also provides composting systems and sustainable cleaning kits that are safe for the environment and effective for both residential and commercial use​.

Business Model: Ekam's business model revolves around both B2B and B2C solutions. Ekam partners with large corporations like Coca-Cola, Tata, and Unilever, as well as government entities like the Indian Railways, to implement its water-saving and sanitation systems​

It also collaborates with micro-organisations and NGOs to distribute its products across different regions. Ekam's sustainable approach has led to the installation of over 12,000 units of its waterless urinals and has contributed to saving over a billion liters of water​.

India Water Portal
www.indiawaterportal.org