1. Could you share the inspiration behind starting Naandi Water? What was the primary problem you aimed to solve?
The inspiration for Naandi Water began with a profound question posed by a farmer who was part of our lift irrigation project in Mahbubnagar. After witnessing the transformation of their livelihoods through better control over agricultural water, he asked, ‘Why can’t we take control of our drinking water the same way?’ That question struck a chord, and it made us realise that safe drinking water, a basic human necessity, was still inaccessible to millions of people across India. Around the same time, we learned about Dr. Ashok Gadgil’s groundbreaking work on affordable water purification technology. It was a serendipitous moment when we connected. The technology came from another organisation, but Naandi was primarily chosen for community mobilisation, explaining and empowering them with this new way of community water treatment that was decentralised and sustainable. This synergy of local demand and technical innovation became the seed that grew into Naandi Water. Our purpose was clear: to make safe, affordable drinking water a reality for every underserved community.
2. What is the core mission and vision of Naandi Water, and how has it evolved since its inception?
Naandi Water’s mission has always been to save lives by providing safe drinking water to the underserved in a sustainable way. When we started in 2010, our focus was simple but powerful: creating decentralized Community Water Centers in villages where water sources were contaminated. Over the years, our vision has evolved beyond just water provision and we are more mindful of reject-water from the water centre, the water percolation pits and the other water sustainability practices too. Like always, we are working to empower local communities, making them responsible for their water resources through education, local management, and sustainability practices. We want these communities to own the solution, ensuring its longevity long after we have handed over the management of the water centers. Our dream is to build a future where no child dies from preventable waterborne diseases, where water is not just a source of life but a symbol of empowerment.
3. What were the biggest challenges you faced in launching Naandi Water, and how did you overcome them?
Launching Naandi Water wasn’t easy. One of our toughest challenges was overcoming the deep-rooted social divisions within the villages. In some places, caste and community dynamics made it hard for people to accept the water center, even when it was for their benefit. We faced resistance to the idea of paying a user fee for water, which had traditionally been seen as a free resource. But we knew that for the system to be sustainable, communities had to take ownership and responsibility for it. Convincing people to value safe water and to contribute to its maintenance was a long, challenging process. We also had to manage political influences and local dynamics, but we were determined to stay focused on the greater good.
4. Water scarcity and safe drinking water are major issues in India. How does Naandi Water address these concerns, particularly in rural areas?
Water scarcity and contamination are some of the gravest challenges facing rural India. In many places, groundwater is highly contaminated with chemicals like fluoride and arsenic. Our solution was to decentralise the water supply, setting up community-based water centers. These centers use advanced purification technologies that treat contaminated water at the source, making it safe to drink. What sets us apart is our holistic approach — we don’t just provide water; we empower local communities to manage these centers themselves. Through a partnership model with local Panchayats and CSR partners, we ensure that the centers are sustainable in the long term.
Like we demonstrate the Quality, Maintenance and Upkeep of the water centre for 7 years to the community, we try our best to demonstrate being source water conscious also by monitoring the source, constructing rain water harvesting structure and thinking about the best reject water re-use options in that place. However, to be honest, this area is still a learning path for us, and we are trying different ways. Forming a new department, ESI (Environmental and Social Initiatives), is in some ways an internal check for us so that we don’t miss on these aspects.
5. Naandi Water is known for its innovative water solutions. Can you tell us about some of the key technologies and models that set your initiative apart?
What’s unique about Naandi Water is our hybrid model. We’ve combined advanced technology with community ownership. For instance, the iPURE model purifies water using cutting-edge filtration techniques relevant to each place while allowing us to keep costs low for the end users. The success of this model lies in its scalability and adaptability. Each center is designed to meet the local water challenges of the region, whether it’s fluoride contamination or bacterial pollution. Our partnerships with local governments, impact investors, and Gram Panchayats allow us to replicate this model in new areas quickly. Additionally, our CWCs with Automatic Dispensing Units (ADUs) dispense water at the swipe of a card, providing 24×7 access to safe drinking water. This not only improves convenience for users but also gives us the operational advantage of tracking user behavior and usage patterns.
6. How does Naandi Water ensure that its solutions are both scalable and sustainable for long-term impact?
Scalability and sustainability are at the core of our model. We believe in a ‘Built to Last’ approach. For over a decade, our water centers have been operational in hundreds of villages, with many of them handed over to local communities for long-term management. We work with a diverse set of partners — from local Panchayats to state governments—ensuring that every water center is financially and operationally sustainable. We focus on keeping our systems affordable, charging only a minimal user fee that covers operational costs without burdening communities.
The fact that we have set up 696 centers in 7 states is a testament to our model. Apart from the water centers we have built, ever since we demonstrated the first 25 water centers with World Bank aid, our model has been inspirational for many water entrepreneurs who walked this road and state governments that tried to solve the harsh contamination in selected villages to avoid further health implications.
7. What kind of social impact has Naandi Water had on the communities it serves? Can you share some success stories?
The impact we’ve had on communities has been transformative. When we started, waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera were rampant in many of the villages we served. Today, thanks to the clean water provided by our centers, the incidence of these diseases has dropped dramatically. In Rajasthan, for example, a study showed that joint pains, stomach issues, and diarrhea cases decreased significantly after the introduction of our safe water centers. But the impact goes beyond health. These centers have created jobs, empowered women, and fostered a sense of ownership within the communities. It’s not just about providing water; it’s about uplifting communities.
8. Education and awareness are critical when it comes to water conservation. How does Naandi Water engage with communities to foster a culture of responsible water usage?
Community engagement is critical to our success. If you remember, even at our inception stage, we were chosen for fostering adaptive change in communities. We actively involve local leaders like village Sarpanches and the community organisations like PHC, Anganwadi centres, Schools and SHG women groups in running the water centers. We also conduct awareness programs on hygiene and the importance of safe drinking water. Educating children and young adults about water conservation is crucial to fostering long-term behavioral change. It’s about creating a culture where people understand the value of water, not just as a resource but as a shared responsibility.
9. Collaboration is key in addressing social issues. Can you share how Naandi Water collaborates with government bodies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to achieve its goals?
Collaboration has always been at the heart of our model. We collaborate with the Panchayats to allow us to set up a water center in their village and manage its upkeep for 7 years. Seven or ten years down the line, we give the asset back to the Panchayats. So far, we have handed over 330 centers to the Panchayats for them to maintain the asset. Our partnerships with NGOs, CSR partners, and state governments enable us to expand our reach and impact. These collaborations are not just financial; they’re strategic. We align with our partners on goals, ensuring that we are all working towards sustainable, long-term change.
10. Are there any new partnerships or projects that Naandi Water is currently working on that you’re excited about?
ESI is a major focus for us, and a lot of our pilots and learnings are coming from that side. We are conducting a learning project on solar-powered water centers, where we have set up 7 solar centers in selected stratified sample locations. The observations and learnings are providing us with valuable insights. We have also partnered with an organization, Removall Carbon, that values the reduced carbon emissions from the project. We are trying to persuade our donors for additional funds that can help us build more functionally robust reject water reuse options. We just need to carefully see how to scale up these different options
11. What are your future plans for Naandi Water? Do you see expansion beyond India, or are there other pressing issues you plan to address in the near future?
Our immediate focus is to expand in India, particularly in the more remote locations where the contamination is high. Some of the other pressing needs we want to address are issues related to Quality. While at a national level we are solving for water access with more focus and speed – we do see the need for increased interventions and community involvement in understanding the aspects of Quality maintenance, upkeep and in general Drinking Water – Quality awareness, reliable reporting of water Quality as some aspects that still need intervention apart from the ESI piece we just discussed above
