We all know that India faces a growing water crisis that impacts millions of lives daily. From urban water shortages to agricultural inefficiencies, the challenges are immense. But amidst these challenges, several innovative startups are stepping up with groundbreaking solutions.
These startups, aiming to solve water crisis in India, leverage cutting-edge technologies like IoT, AI, and renewable energy to conserve, manage, and optimize water usage.
So, let’s go through the top 10 startups revolutionizing India’s water ecosystem.
A Brief Overview: Startups Aiming to Solve Water Crisis in India
| Startup | Founded | Headquarters | Core Technologies | What do they do? |
| Ekam Eco Solutions | 2013 | New Delhi | Eco-sanitation systems, natural products | Offers waterless urinals and sustainable sanitation solutions. |
| Swajal | 2014 | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Solar-powered water ATMs, RO, UV | Provides affordable, clean drinking water while reducing plastic waste |
| WEGot Utility Solutions | 2015 | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | IoT-enabled smart water meters | Monitors and optimizes water consumption in households and industries. |
| Nimble Vision | 2017 | Bengaluru, Karnataka | IoT-based water level controllers | Tracks and automates water usage in homes and industries. |
| Uravu Labs | 2019 | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Renewable water tech | Converts atmospheric moisture into potable water using renewable energy. |
| DigitalPaani | 2020 | Gurugram, Haryana | IoT for water asset management | Enhances water infrastructure efficiency for municipal and industrial facilities. |
| Agua | 2020 | Bengaluru, Karnataka | AI-based water management systems | Provides smart water insights to save up to 40% of water usage. |
| Khyeti | 2020 | Hyderabad, Telangana | Greenhouse-in-a-Box technology | Helps farmers save 90% of water while producing 7x more output. |
| Vassar Labs | 2020 | Hyderabad, Telangana | IoT, AI, ML | Enables smart water management using real-time data and predictive insights. |
| Aumsat | 2020 | Jaipur, Rajasthan | Satellite imagery, radar, AI-ML | Identifies groundwater zones and monitors water quality using advanced tech. |
In the next sections, we will go through the details of each startup mentioned in the table above.
1. Ekam Eco Solutions
Founded in 2013, Ekam Eco Solutions focuses on ecological sanitation systems to conserve water. Their flagship product, Zerodor, is a waterless urinal system that saves up to 1.5 lakh liters of water annually per unit. By collecting and processing urine for use as fertilizer, they promote sustainability in urban and rural areas.
Business Model
Ekam partners with corporations like Tata and Unilever, as well as government entities, to implement water-saving solutions. They also cater to residential markets with composting systems and sustainable cleaning kits. To date, Ekam has installed over 12,000 waterless urinals, saving more than 1 billion liters of water.
How it works?
Their waterless urinal uses gravity to channel waste, eliminating flushing needs. Additionally, natural sewage products treat wastewater, offering a holistic approach to water conservation.
2. Swajal
Launched in 2014, Swajal introduced solar-powered water ATMs that deliver clean drinking water for as low as ₹0.50 per liter. These decentralized systems use RO and UV filtration to purify water from local sources.
Business Model
Swajal operates on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, collaborating with vendors and government bodies. Revenue streams include water sales, machine sales, and maintenance services. With 500+ installations across India, they’ve supplied millions of liters of safe drinking water while reducing plastic waste.
How it works?
Swajal’s ATMs draw water from ponds or wells, purify it, and dispense it through solar-powered systems, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
3. WEGot Utility Solutions
Founded in 2015, Chennai-based WEGot Utility Solutions developed Aqua, an IoT-enabled smart water meter. This device provides real-time data on water flow, pressure, and quality, helping users cut water usage by up to 50%.
Business Model
WEGot operates on a SaaS model, offering its product for free while charging a monthly fee per residence. Commercial clients, including Brigade and Zoho, pay installation and subscription fees.
Working Strategy
Aqua uses ultrasonic sensors within a LoRaWAN® network to detect leaks and measure water consumption. It’s particularly effective in large residential complexes and commercial spaces.
4. Nimble Vision
Bengaluru-based Nimble Vision provides IoT-powered solutions to monitor water usage in real-time. Founded in 2017, their smart water controllers optimize water tank levels and prevent wastage.
Business Model
Nimble Vision targets both B2B and B2C markets, selling IoT devices and offering subscription-based analytics services.
How it works?
Their system tracks water consumption patterns, sends alerts for leaks, and automates tank refills, ensuring efficient water management in urban spaces.
5. Uravu Labs
Founded in 2019, Bengaluru’s Uravu Labs focuses on renewable water tech. Using solar energy, they extract atmospheric moisture to create potable water.
Business Model
Uravu offers two models- direct sales of water-generation units and Water-as-a-Service (WaaS), where businesses pay per use.
How it works?
Their thermo-sensitive materials absorb water vapor, and solar thermal energy converts it into clean drinking water, ideal for remote areas.
6. DigitalPaani
Launched in 2020, DigitalPaani leverages IoT to enhance water infrastructure management. Their platform optimizes water treatment plants and reduces wastage through predictive maintenance.
Business Model
DigitalPaani provides both direct sales and subscription-based services, catering to industrial giants like Amazon and Britannia.
Working Strategy
Their system offers real-time water asset monitoring, automated chemical dosing, and process automation for treatment plants, ensuring operational efficiency.
7. Agua
Bengaluru-based Agua, founded in 2020, uses AI for smart water management. Their Plug-and-Play system enables users to monitor water usage, saving up to 40%.
Business Model
Agua sells its devices to apartment complexes and commercial spaces, helping them reduce water bills significantly.
How it works?
The system analyzes water levels across sources, providing actionable insights to control consumption.
8. Khyeti
Founded in 2020, Hyderabad-based Khyeti developed a Greenhouse-in-a-Box for small farmers. This modular system uses 90% less water and produces seven times more output.
Business Model
Khyeti sells greenhouses at affordable rates and offers support for both backward and forward linkages in agriculture.
Working Strategy
The greenhouse captures rainwater and optimizes irrigation, ensuring sustainable farming practices.
9. Vassar Labs
Hyderabad-based Vassar Labs offers IoT, AI, and ML-powered smart water management solutions.
Business Model
They provide tools to government agencies for efficient water resource management, focusing on flood prediction, irrigation, and watershed planning.
How it works?
Using satellites and sensors, Vassar Labs delivers real-time data on water assets, enabling smarter decision-making.
10. Aumsat
Founded in 2020, Jaipur-based Aumsat uses satellite imagery and radar to identify groundwater zones and prevent water loss.
Business Model
Aumsat collaborates with governments and industries across Asia and Africa, offering subscription-based access to its technology.
Working Strategy
Their system integrates L-band satellite images with AI-ML algorithms to analyze subsurface water conditions, ensuring efficient groundwater management.
Note: Do you know, that India is all set to welcome water-powered hydrogen trains to promote eco-friendly travel? Go through the article- “Water Powered Hydrogen Trains in India” for more information.
Final Thoughts
Now, it’s time to wrap up. All these startups aiming to solve the water crisis in India are utilizing technology and innovation to address one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Whether it’s through IoT, AI, or renewable energy, their efforts are paving the way for a sustainable future.
So, the question is- which of these solutions could inspire your next step in water conservation? Comment down below!
Thanks for reading 🙂
