• Ashirvad Pipes and The/Nudge Institute launched the Rs. 2.5 crore prize to improve water sustainability in India in February 2022

• The challenge will support disruptive innovations in solving India’s water security crisis, with the potential to scale to 19 crore households

• Technologies selected range from AI and Machine Learning to mechanical and scientific products to community enablement through tech

• This prize is in partnership with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and 20+ allies across investors and academia

India: 25 water-tech startups have been selected as semi-finalists for ‘The/Nudge Prize | Ashirvad Water Challenge’ by The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) and Ashirvad Pipes in partnership with the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The challenge was opened for applications in February this year. Selected out of a total of 140 applicants, these 25 startups will now compete for a total prize purse of INR 2.5 crores, which comprises a grand prize of INR 1.75 crore for the winning solution and runner-up and milestone grants for five finalists.

Of the 25 water-tech innovators, four work in the areas of water leakage and distribution, five in wastewater treatment, nine in water purification, three in the atmospheric generation of water, and four towards enabling water ecosystems. Many of the semi-finalists use deep tech interventions such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Some are working on efficient ways for rainwater harvesting, watershed management, or membrane filtration for purification. All the proposed solutions exhibit a promise to be cost-effective and can be scaled equitably. Six of the 25 shortlisted organizations are founded by women.

Speaking on the occasion, Sudha Srinivasan, CEO, The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation, said, “It is very encouraging to see that these 25 semi-finalists have innovated and developed potentially scalable solutions that address the most pressing water issues in the country. We are also proud of the fact that women lead several of these startups, working at the cusp of technology and social transformation. We firmly believe that these entrepreneurs will go a long way in solving complex issues within the water ecosystem, and will play a massive role in enhancing the quality of life of people, thereby realizing our dream of a poverty-free India in our lifetime.”

 

Deepak Mehrotra, Managing Director, Ashirvad Pipes, added, “The/Nudge Prize | Ashirvad Water Challenge aims to nurture technology-based innovations that improve water cycle management. Through this challenge, the focus is to support solutions that improve water quality, enable efficient water harvesting, storage, drainage & reuse, and incentivize behavioral change towards water conservation and waste avoidance. We congratulate the 25 startups for being chosen as the semifinalists and wish them the very best as they begin the user-testing phase.”

For the next six months, each semi-finalist will pilot its project and begin user-testing or expand its solution presence across various locations, to understand scalability potential and impact.

The selection was spread across three stages. In the first stage, the solutions proposed by the applicants were assessed for their relevance to clean water enablement. Out of 140 applicants, 102 made it to the second stage, where several factors were assessed: applicants’ depth and team credentials; research and proof of concept in their proposed solution & innovation; operations and maintenance requirements; adaptability of the solution; and scalability (market, tech enablement, pricing/revenue models, and sustainability). In the third stage, 35 startups faced another round of rigorous assessments on their scalability, proof of concept, and demographic focus and reach, which helped the panel narrow down the 25 semi-finalists. The selection panel included 11 members from Indus Water, IH2O Asia, Arghyam, IHE Delft, Aavishkaar, and Social Alpha.

Profiles of Semi-final Cohort of The/Nudge Prize| Ashirvad Water Challenge

1. Agua Wireless Systems Pvt Ltd:
Agua is working on tackling the fresh-water crisis facing us today. Agua’s smart water distribution which includes automated valves, motor controllers, level and flow sensors, is used to automate every aspect of water distribution and management.
2. Aumsat Technologies LLP:
Aumsat Technologies provides ready-to-use satellite data and analysis for smart agriculture, water, and surveillance sectors.
3. Urdhvam Environmental Technologies Pvt Ltd:
Urdhvam helps in making borewells highly sustainable thereby increasing bore yield. Their efforts have resulted in improved irrigation and drinking water quantity and quality, reduction in salination of soil due to dissolved salts, and improvement in soil health, among others.
4. Covestro (India) Pvt Ltd:
Covestro’s solar water purification system can be used on any contaminated, unclean, or open water source. It also helps recharge and harvest water bodies, making the solution function without the sun as well.
5. Hydroquo+:
A Bangladesh-based company, Hydroquo+ utilizes a unique product suite to improve water quality and reduce losses. By harnessing the power of chemometric analytics tools to maximize information and data available for leading water innovators, to dramatically improve the quality of water worldwide.
6. i47 Innovation Labs:
The Aegir water management solution developed by i47 is metering and water-saving on the purchase and distribution side with intelligent server-side analytics to help you manage your water demand.
7. JK Nanosolutions:
JK Nanosolutions has developed a nanotechnology-based treatment method to treat wastewater and then followed by treatment of textile effluents collected from different locations in India, to address the issue of water pollution.
8. JSP Enviro Pvt Ltd:
JSP Enviro’s vision is to work towards a circular economy by reusing and recycling industrial wastewater across the globe. The company provides a one-stop solution for pollution control to improve the quality of land and water. JSP Enviro is working on creating an energy-positive and carbon-neutral technological solution for industrial effluent treatment.
9. MaithriAquatech:
MaithriAquatech is reinventing water access and water purification with decentralized, sustainable, and highly scalable water solutions. The MEGHDOOT technology is able to generate water from the air. This decentralized capability enables true flexibility, having already served individuals in their homes, to organizations spanning various industries.
10. Manhat:
A UAE based organization, Manhat is a deep technology startup focusing on natural water distillation.
11. Naandi Community Water Services Pvt Ltd:
Naandi Community is engaged in providing potable drinking water to rural communities. Using technologies like Reverse Osmosis, UV, and having a robust business model has helped not only in creating a sustainable solution for the drinking water for the bottom of the pyramid communities. It has also ensured that the operations & maintenance are taken care of with the surplus generated.
12. NirNal:
NirNal is an affordable, non-electric, pluggable water filter making company whose product has been distributed to several villages, schools, and even India’s military.
13. VAS Bros. Enterprises Pvt Ltd:
VAS Bros. Enterprises helps in water purification by removing heavy metals and hazardous contaminants like Arsenic without using electricity and also detects toxic chemicals in waste.
14. Organic Solutions:
Organic Solutions is a cost-effective sewage treatment solution providing organization that incorporates the principles of microorganisms, earthworms, and plant roots found in healthy soil to treat water without generating any daily sludge, noise, or odor and also reduces the burden of fresh water on natural fresh water resources.
15. OssusBiorenewables:
OssusBiorenewables work in the direction of production of biohydrogen and have proposed to design a prototype hybrid bio-electrochemical process to desalinate seawater and reduce the salt content by 90-95%, along with degrading waste to produce hydrogen.
16. Padmaseetha Technologies Pvt Ltd:
Padmaseetha is working on Jalavimalata, a portable, water purity monitor accompanied by a filter that can send water quality results in real-time and help in designing interventions. They also plan to build a Jalasena community of water experts who will be deployed to the grassroots level.
17. Sambhaav Trust:
Saambhav Trust, a non-profit organization, actively works in water management, reviving water systems through community-led participation and involving multiple stakeholders across sectors to adapt to ecological processes of change by looking at community needs.
18. Smartterra:
Smartterra uses its AI-powered analytics platform to create a digital model of water networks and customers along with focusing on reducing water losses by assessing leakages and deploying trained members to fields to solve issues.
19. Solinas Integrity Pvt. Ltd:
Using robotics to detect leakages, Solinas Integrity works in the direction of eliminating manual scavenging. The firm intends to use technology to clean septic tanks along with pipeline leakages.
20. Source Water India Pvt Ltd:
Source Water India uses a hydropanel driven by solar energy to pull clean water from the air and convert it into drinking water which is delivered straight to taps and faucets even in dry and arid areas
21. Swades Foundation:
Swades Foundation intends to transform rural lives by empowering communities to follow the telescopic distribution system of water where the flow of water is not continuous and pressure on the valves is reduced thus preventing water wastage.
22. Taraltec Solutions Pvt Ltd:
Taraltec provides solutions to get rid of microbes in water drawn from hand pumps by sending electric shockwaves in the water as soon as it is pumped out.
23. Tarun Bharat Sangh:
Tarun Bharat Sangh works to preserve water, and recharge aquifers by mobilizing communities to construct rainwater harvesting systems along with improving water literacy among citizens.
24. Telemachus High Tech Pvt Ltd:
Telemachus reduces water treatment costs and recycles 100% of wastewater through in-situ technology
25. Uravu Labs:
Uravu Labs use a scalable system that runs on all kinds of renewable energy (solar, waste, biomass) to generate water from the air.

The selected applicants highlight The/Nudge Institute’s motive for enabling The/Nudge Prize platform. The Prize methodology has demonstrated the ability to draw innovation, talent, capital, and public attention to underserved problems, creating disruptive and sustainable solutions and scaling even after the challenge ends. As most of the entrepreneurial energy in the nation is focused on lucrative problem-solving, The/Nudge Institute leverages The Prize platform to channel some of this innovative energy into the social sector, inspiring India’s top talent and established start-ups to apply themselves to the most critical developmental issues. The/Nudge Prize platform intends to run several such challenges focusing on specific issues and garner support from the government, visionary philanthropists, esteemed advisors, markets, and reputed knowledge and technology partners.

The/Nudge is an action institute working towards a poverty-free India, within our lifetime. We partner with governments, markets, and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for all, through our Centre for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (CSDE), Centre for Rural Development(CRD), and Centre for Social Innovation(CSI).

Ashirvad Pipes, an Aliaxis group company, is India’s leading provider of advanced plastic piping systems for residential, commercial, infrastructure, industrial, and agricultural applications. A pioneer in the design of uPVC column pipes used in agriculture, we are the world’s largest manufacturer of CPVC and uPVC pipes and fittings. Over the years, we have evolved, grown, and expanded across the entire water management value chain: from pipes and plumbing to water storage and dispensing systems. Today, we are an integrated ‘Tank to Tap’ provider of comprehensive water management solutions with a global footprint, exporting to over 40 countries. Our 5000-strong workforce includes our pan India sales team, and personnel at our headquarters in Bangalore, factories in Bangalore and Bhiwadi – Rajasthan, Durgapur – West Bengal, Cuttack – Orissa, 12 water storage tank manufacturing plants, and 11 warehouses. Our state-of-the-art Research and Technology Center in Bangalore is one of three such facilities in Aliaxis globally.

Aliaxis is a global leader in advanced piping systems for building, infrastructure, industrial and agriculture applications. The company provides communities around the world with sustainable innovative solutions for water and energy, leading the industry in a way that anticipates the rapidly evolving needs of its customers and of society. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Aliaxis is present in over 40 countries with over 14000 employees.

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