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India is facing a critical paradox: we are one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, yet nearly 600 million of our people live under severe water stress. With roughly 70% of our surface water contaminated and groundwater tables rapidly declining, the drinking water gap has evolved from a local hurdle into a major national infrastructure challenge.

As a founder building Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology at Akvo, I am frequently asked if pulling drinking water from the air can truly scale.

The honest answer? AWG will not replace rivers, rainwater harvesting, or municipal supply. However, it is fast becoming the most credible decentralized option to bridge the last-mile drinking water gap. It steps in precisely where the ground has failed us, the pipes haven’t reached, or the existing source is unsafe.

The atmosphere above India holds an estimated 13,000 cubic kilometers of water vapor at any given time—far more than all of our rivers combined. AWG simply taps a tiny sliver of this endless, renewable reservoir.

Moving the Needle Where It Matters Most

The goal of AWG isn’t to flood cities with air-to-water units. Instead, it is meant to target acute pain points where conventional infrastructure naturally struggles:

  • Schools & Healthcare Centers: Providing pure water in districts heavily affected by fluoride or arsenic.

  • Remote & Border Posts: Eliminating the punishing logistics of trucking water to distant terrains.

  • Campuses & Industrial Sites: Replacing the massive financial and plastic waste of packaged bottled water.

  • Disaster Relief: Deploying mobile AWG units that can be airlifted and producing clean water within hours.

This targeted approach offers a powerful opportunity for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ESG capital. Rather than funding temporary fixes, partners can invest in decentralized infrastructure that delivers verifiable impact data daily through IoT dashboards—measuring success in clean liters generated, not just photographs.

Turning the Economic Tide

What was once an expensive novelty is now a commercially viable reality. Thanks to advancements in compressor efficiency, heat exchanger design, and predictive maintenance, the cost per liter has dropped significantly. In warm, humid climatic zones, AWG is now highly competitive with—and often cheaper than—packaged or tankered water once you factor in logistics and plastic disposal.

Furthermore, the rise of the Water-as-a-Service (WaaS) model allows schools, hospitals, and municipalities to pay only for the liters they consume, removing the upfront capital barrier entirely.

Knowing the Limits

True credibility in climate technology relies on what we refuse to overpromise. AWG is a specialized drinking water solution designed to deliver the vital 20 to 30 liters a person needs each day. It is environment-dependent, meaning output naturally drops in cold, dry regions like high-altitude Ladakh or during peak North Indian winters. To manage energy consumption sustainably, pairing AWG with rooftop solar is rapidly becoming our default design.

The Mesh Architecture of Water

India’s water future won’t rely on a single, grand pipeline. It will look like a collaborative mesh: surface water where abundant, groundwater where sustainable, rainwater harvesting where possible, recycled water for utilities, and atmospheric water precisely where the other options fail.

At Akvo, we are building for that future—one decentralized unit at a time.

This article was originally published on Financial Express. You can read the full, unabridged piece here: Air to Water: Can Atmospheric Technologies Solve India’s Drinking Water Gap?

TechGraph

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India’s growing water crisis is forcing cities to rethink where water comes from. From declining groundwater levels in Bengaluru to recurring shortages in Chennai and increasing pressure on urban infrastructure, conventional water sources are under strain.

Yet one abundant resource often goes unnoticed: the moisture present in the air around us.

Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology captures humidity from ambient air and converts it into safe drinking water. Unlike traditional water systems, AWGs do not rely on groundwater, municipal pipelines, or tanker deliveries. Water is produced directly at the point of use through a process of condensation, purification, and mineralisation.

For commercial buildings, hospitals, educational institutions, industries, and residential developments, AWG offers a decentralised and sustainable water solution. It reduces dependence on external water sources while supporting water security and sustainability goals.

The technology is particularly effective across much of India, where humidity levels remain favourable for a significant part of the year. Advances in energy efficiency, IoT-based monitoring, and system performance have also made AWG increasingly viable from both operational and economic perspectives.

As urban populations grow and climate pressures intensify, water resilience will require more than traditional infrastructure alone. Distributed solutions like atmospheric water generation can play an important role in strengthening future water security.

The question is no longer whether air can become a water source. Across India and beyond, it already is.

Read the full article by Navkaran Singh Bagga here

CSR BOX

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Water scarcity is no longer only about the availability of resources — it is increasingly about equitable access to safe drinking water.

Globally, nearly 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water services, while millions spend hours each day collecting water. In India, where almost 18% of the world’s population depends on just 4% of global freshwater resources, water stress continues to affect millions.

Yet, in many communities, the issue is not the absence of water. Water sources may exist, but contamination, high TDS levels, fluoride, iron content, and inadequate treatment systems often make safe drinking water inaccessible.

This shifts the focus from water availability to water quality, accessibility, and reliability.

Traditionally, water interventions have prioritised infrastructure such as borewells, pipelines, and storage systems. While important, infrastructure alone does not guarantee sustainable impact. Long-term water security requires solutions supported by monitoring, technology, and community participation.

Key questions must guide future interventions:

  • Is safe water being delivered consistently?
  • Are systems sustainable over time?
  • How is water quality being monitored?
  • Are communities involved in ownership and maintenance?

Community participation remains critical for long-term success. Sustainable water access improves when local stakeholders become active partners rather than beneficiaries.

As climate change and groundwater depletion intensify water stress, ensuring equitable access to safe drinking water is becoming essential for health, dignity, livelihoods, and inclusive development.

The future of water security will depend not only on creating water sources, but on ensuring that safe water reaches every community consistently and sustainably.

—
Navakarn, CEO, AKVO

Read the full article here

NITI Frontier Tech Hub

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2,000 Machines, 15 Countries, Zero Groundwater: The Rise of Atmospheric Water Infrastructure

As Indian cities face growing water stress, alternative and decentralised water solutions are becoming increasingly important. Atmospheric water generation (AWG) technology is emerging as one such solution by producing drinking water directly from humidity in the air.

Founded in 2017 by Navkaran Singh Bagga, Kolkata-based Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems has developed AWG systems that reduce dependence on groundwater, water tankers, and bottled water. Since its first deployment in 2018, the company has installed over 2,000 systems across 15 countries, collectively generating more than 100 million litres of drinking water.

Akvo’s systems work by extracting moisture from ambient air, condensing it into water, and purifying it through multi-stage filtration and UV sterilisation. Minerals are then added to improve taste and quality.

The technology is particularly effective in humid urban regions and is currently being used across industries, hospitals, institutions, renewable energy sites, and commercial campuses in cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Goa.

Beyond water generation, the systems are helping organisations reduce plastic waste, lower dependence on groundwater extraction, and improve water resilience as part of broader sustainability and ESG initiatives.

As climate change and urbanisation continue to pressure conventional water infrastructure, decentralised technologies like atmospheric water generation are becoming an important part of the future water security conversation.

Read the full article here

Your Story

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India’s water crisis is no longer a distant concern—it is an immediate, operational reality. Declining groundwater levels, urban supply failures, and increasing demand have made water scarcity a defining challenge for climate-tech founders in the country.

In this context, building solutions requires more than technical understanding. Founders must engage directly with real-world conditions, where water shortages are experienced daily through failing borewells, emergency tanker dependence, and strained infrastructure. This proximity shapes better products—prioritizing reliability, speed of deployment, and field performance over theoretical design.

A key insight is that innovation in climate-tech goes beyond technology alone. Successful solutions integrate business model design as a core component, shifting from high upfront costs to more accessible, outcome-based models that reduce risk for customers and enable wider adoption.

India’s extreme and varied environmental conditions—ranging from high temperatures and humidity to power instability—also redefine how products must be built. These are not edge cases but baseline realities, making early field deployment and rapid iteration essential for success.

Equally important is trust. In infrastructure-driven sectors like water, decision-making is cautious due to the high impact of failure. Early deployments, strong performance, and credible case studies play a critical role in accelerating adoption and building long-term partnerships.

Ultimately, the climate crisis is not just a backdrop—it is the operating environment. Founders who understand and build within this reality are better positioned to create scalable, resilient solutions that address both India’s challenges and global needs.

Read the full article here.

TimesTech

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In an interview with TimesTech, Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder & CEO of Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems discusses the rising importance of decentralized water solutions in a climate-challenged world. He highlights how atmospheric water generation, IoT integration, and Water-as-a-Service models are reshaping water access. The conversation also explores scalability challenges, sustainability goals, and Akvo’s mission to address global water scarcity through innovation.

TimesTech: Akvo has been at the forefront of atmospheric water generation — how do you see decentralized water systems evolving as a core component of climate-resilient infrastructure globally?

Navkaran: Water infrastructure was constructed for climate conditions which have shifted. Reservoir levels are dropping, aquifers are running out of water, and we cannot build enough pipelines fast enough to keep up with the growth in cities. As a result, we will see more and more and more decentralised water systems (like atmospheric water generation or rainwater collection; reuse of on-site wastewater) be used in addition to municipal supplies as part of an overall plan for resilience, but rather than serving as a replacement system. Over the next 10 years, all of the major components of infrastructure (schools, hospitals, data storage centres, and industrial sites) will be designed with a decentralised water programme built-in at the point of use. I am already seeing the change in all of the 15 countries in which we work.

TimesTech: Your technology transforms air into drinking water — what have been the biggest technological and environmental challenges in scaling AWG systems across diverse geographies?

Navkaran: The core technical challenge is performance under highly variable ambient conditions. Output is environment-dependent i.e. best in warm, humid air and falling sharply in cold or dry zones. So, every geography requires honest climatic modelling before deployment. We have engineered around this through refrigerant optimisation, heat exchanger design and IoT-driven controls that adapt to real-time conditions. Environmentally, the bigger challenge has been energy intensity. Pairing AWG with rooftop solar, and improving the coefficient of performance generation after generation, is how we keep the litre-per-kilowatt-hour equation moving in the right direction. Transparency with customers on all of this is non-negotiable.

TimesTech: With IoT integration becoming central to infrastructure, how is Akvo leveraging intelligent technologies to transform water from a basic utility into smart, data-driven infrastructure?

Navkaran: At Akvo, we treat every machine as a connected asset. Our platform, Nimbus OS, runs across our fleet and gives us real-time visibility into run hours, litres produced, energy consumed, ambient temperature and humidity, filter health and component performance. That data does three things: it enables predictive maintenance before failures occur, lets clients see their environmental impact daily in litres produced and plastic bottles avoided, and allows us to continuously improve product design based on field reality. Water, once instrumented, stops being a silent utility and becomes accountable infrastructure exactly what industrial and CSR clients increasingly demand.

TimesTech: The concept of “Water-as-a-Service” is gaining traction — how do you see this model reshaping water access for industries and urban ecosystems in the coming years?

Navkaran: Water-as-a-Service fundamentally changes who carries the risk. Instead of a client making a large capital purchase and hoping the technology performs, a partner like Akvo invests in the machine and the client pays only for the water actually consumed. That single shift unlocks schools, hospitals, factories and housing societies that would never sign off on a capex line. It also forces us, the provider, to keep uptime and quality high because revenue depends on it. Over the coming years this model will do for decentralised water what leasing did for commercial real estate making access routine, predictable and measurable.

TimesTech: Akvo has already achieved significant global scale, generating millions of litres of water annually — what strategies have been key in balancing sustainability, affordability, and scalability?

Navkaran: The most significant decisions made by the organisation were as follows: the main production facility is located in Chennai and is run by our company instead of Outsourcing; all products manufactured will be of the same design allowing for a variety of market applications based on the same design; we will be partnering with local companies in each of the markets we operate in through joint venture rather than exporting our products from across the globe. A successful sustainable business is only possible when the supply chain, product design and go to market strategy are all developed to support one another.

TimesTech: As someone with a diverse entrepreneurial background, what inspired your transition into climate-tech, and how do you envision Akvo’s role in addressing global water scarcity over the next decade?

Navkaran: My previous business experience has shown me the disciplines of manufacturing, developing markets through exports, and growing during the inevitable downturns. I would like to apply that operational strength to the fields of climate technology and water. Water shortage is not just a future concern, but an active challenge for hundreds of millions of people around the world today. Solutions must be of sufficient industrial scale and commercial grade, rather than a product of goodwill. The goal is for Akvo to become a portable, dependable factor in achieving global water transformation over the next ten years, found in nearly every country, respected by both businesses and governments, and transparent about the capabilities of its technology.

Original article

India Today

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As the world marks Earth Day 2026, the focus is shifting from large, centralized infrastructure to smaller, more resilient local systems. One of the most urgent areas of change is water.

By 2030, global freshwater demand is expected to exceed supply by 40%. Aquifers are being depleted rapidly, rivers are shrinking, and traditional solutions—bigger pipelines and deeper wells—are no longer enough.

Decentralised water solutions offer a new approach.

Water From Air

The atmosphere holds vast amounts of water. Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology captures this moisture, converting it into clean drinking water without relying on groundwater or surface sources.

Akvosphere systems are already operating globally—from deserts to coastal cities—providing independent, on-site water using only air and electricity.

Why Decentralisation Works

Centralised water systems are complex and fragile. Decentralisation allows buildings, schools, hospitals, and communities to produce their own water, reducing dependency on external infrastructure.

This shift mirrors the rise of solar energy—making systems more resilient rather than replacing them entirely.

A Scalable Solution

Modern AWG systems use energy comparable to traditional water supply systems. When paired with solar power, their environmental impact drops further.

Unlike groundwater extraction, long-distance transport, or bottled water, AWG offers a more sustainable and scalable alternative.

The Bigger Shift

Earth Day should be about real change—not just messaging.

Water scarcity is already here. Investing in decentralised solutions like AWG is not just sustainable—it’s necessary.

The air holds the answer. It’s time to use it.

To read the full article, visit India Today

The Stateman

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Rethinking water security, starting with air

You feel parched, maybe after a thorough session at the gym or simply after overworking yourself inside your centralised office space or after running a kilometre trying to make it on time for your first class.

You feel parched, maybe after a thorough session at the gym or simply after overworking yourself inside your centralised office space or after running a kilometre trying to make it on time for your first class. You reach out for a glass of water or a bottle without really putting much thought into where the water that satiates you comes from. But what if your next sip of water does not come from a reservoir, a river or a well bore, but rather from the very air that you breathe? This is not something out of the future, but a bit of everything- physics, chemistry and engineering.

Turning to Earth’s atmosphere- the most overlooked reservoir is not something out of a fantasy but a ray of hope that while the earth battles depleting natural water sources, the sky might just become humanity’s great next aquifer. And at the heart of this lies AWG systems (Atmospheric Water Generators), which produce portable water by extracting water vapour directly from the air. Conversing with Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO & Founder of AKVO, The Statesman gets an idea on how, even though AWG systems have gained prominence in the last few years, technology like this is at the helm of future cleantech adoption in India.

Q. What sparked the idea for air-to-water technology?

The idea was sparked by a simple but unsettling observation: while floods devastate one region, another suffers severe drought. Water exists abundantly in the atmosphere, yet we rarely view air as a viable water source. I wanted to create decentralised systems that allow communities, institutions, and businesses to generate clean drinking water on-site, reducing dependence on depleting groundwater and long supply chains.

Q. Can you explain the core physics and engineering behind Atmospheric Water Generation?

Atmospheric Water Generation works on the same principle as condensation on a cold glass. Warm air contains moisture. When air is cooled to its dew point, the water vapour condenses into liquid water. Our systems optimise airflow, temperature control, and filtration to efficiently capture, purify, and mineralise this condensed water, making it safe and potable. It is essentially controlled, engineered condensation at scale.

Q. Is this an energy-intensive process? How do you balance energy consumption versus water output?

Energy consumption depends heavily on humidity and temperature. Higher relative humidity significantly improves efficiency. We optimise compressor cycles, heat exchange, and airflow design to reduce kWh per litre under favourable conditions. The systems are IoT-enabled, allowing real-time monitoring and performance optimisation. The goal is not just producing water, but doing so with predictable, transparent energy metrics aligned with sustainability objectives.

Q. How does atmospheric water generation change the broader landscape of water sustainability?

Atmospheric water generation decentralises water production. Instead of transporting water across long distances or extracting stressed groundwater, potable water is generated at the point of consumption. This reduces plastic waste, lowers logistics emissions, and builds resilience in water-scarce regions. It transforms water from a centrally distributed commodity into a localised utility, strengthening long-term sustainability and climate adaptation strategies.

Q. Installed in diverse geographic locations, were technological adaptations required?

Yes, significantly. Installations across tropical, coastal, desert, and urban environments demand different engineering responses. We adapt airflow design, filtration systems, corrosion resistance, and control algorithms based on humidity, salinity, and dust conditions. In high-salinity coastal zones, anti-corrosion materials are critical. In arid regions, performance optimisation and hybrid integration become key. Local adaptation ensures reliability and efficiency.

Q. What are the on-ground challenges in scaling green solutions?

The biggest challenges are mindset and infrastructure alignment. Green solutions often require upfront capital and long-term thinking, while markets tend to prioritise immediate cost savings. Regulatory clarity, financing models, and awareness are still evolving. Scaling requires collaboration between policymakers, financiers, and entrepreneurs to create ecosystems where sustainable technologies are not niche alternatives, but mainstream infrastructure choices.

Q. Where does India stand in terms of sustainable water technologies?

India is at a pivotal moment. Water stress is rising, yet innovation is accelerating. Government missions around Jal Shakti and sustainability have created momentum. However, the adoption of advanced decentralised technologies is still emerging. We have strong scientific talent and entrepreneurial energy; the next step is integrating these innovations into policy frameworks and large-scale infrastructure planning.

Q. What role do startups play in driving India’s climate and sustainability goals?

Startups bring agility, experimentation, and bold problem-solving. Unlike legacy systems, startups can rapidly prototype, test, and deploy solutions that merge science with infrastructure. In the climate and water sectors, this flexibility is crucial. Startups translate research into field-ready applications and push industries to rethink conventional models. They act as catalysts, bridging laboratory science and real-world impact.

India Today

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Making Water from Air: From Vision to Breakthrough

A Policy Idea Backed by Science

In 2020, during a virtual interaction with Vestas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that technology could harvest moisture from the air to generate drinking water. What seemed ambitious at the time has now been reinforced by scientific advancement.

In 2026, Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, unveiled an industrial-scale atmospheric water harvesting system capable of producing up to 1,000 litres of water daily — even in extremely dry regions. Through his California-based company Atoco, Yaghi has translated advanced materials science into a practical solution.

The Science: Reticular Chemistry and Molecular Sponges

At the core of this breakthrough is reticular chemistry, a field focused on designing crystalline structures known as Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). These highly porous materials function like molecular sponges, capturing water directly from the air through adsorption rather than energy-intensive cooling.

Unlike conventional Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) that rely on refrigeration to reach dew point, MOF-based systems chemically attract water molecules, allowing operation even at humidity levels as low as 10–20%. This dramatically reduces energy consumption and expands viability to desert environments.

Decentralised Water Security in Practice

Atmospheric harvesting represents a shift toward decentralised water production. A container-sized unit can generate around 1,000 litres of clean water per day and can operate using solar heat, eliminating dependence on pipelines or lMaking water from air, atmospheric water generation, Omar Yaghi Nobel Prize, reticular chemistry, metal organic frameworks MOF, PM Narendra Modi water vision, Atoco atmospheric harvesting, decentralized water solutions, water from dry air technology, climate resilient water systems, India water security, sustainable water innovationarge infrastructure.

In India, AKVO, led by Navkaran Singh Bagga, deploys condensation-based AWGs suited to the country’s diverse climates. These systems filter air, condense moisture, and purify it through multi-stage treatment, reducing reliance on groundwater, tankers, and bottled water.

A New Era of Resilience

With billions lacking access to safe drinking water and climate pressures intensifying, atmospheric water generation offers a scalable and resilient alternative. By extracting water directly from the air, communities can move toward self-sufficiency — transforming a forward-looking vision into a tangible solution.

Read the full original article here: India Today

Responsible Us

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Ethical Innovation: How Responsible Tech Can Solve the Water Crisis

By Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO & Founder, Akvo

The water crisis is no longer a future concern — it is a present reality. Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai face severe water scarcity driven by groundwater depletion, infrastructure stress, and climate change. But this is not just a technical issue — it is social, economic, and environmental.

Solving it requires ethical innovation — technology designed not only for efficiency, but for long-term sustainability, equitable access, and environmental responsibility.

Rethinking Water Through Atmospheric Generation

Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) offers a decentralized approach by extracting moisture from the air and converting it into safe drinking water. By generating water at the point of use, AWGs reduce reliance on overexploited aquifers and strained municipal systems.

Decentralized production also reduces:

  • Carbon emissions from tanker transportation

  • Plastic waste from bottled water

  • Pressure on natural water bodies

Because AWGs can operate using solar, grid, or hybrid energy sources, they are adaptable to urban, rural, industrial, and disaster-prone areas.

Making Sustainability Economically Accessible

Ethical innovation must also be financially inclusive. Akvo’s Water-on-Want (WoW) initiative follows an OPEX-based Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, eliminating upfront CAPEX. Organizations pay only for the water they consume, while Akvo manages installation and maintenance.

This model lowers adoption barriers and makes sustainable water access both practical and scalable.

Innovation With Purpose

The water crisis demands more than infrastructure upgrades — it requires responsibility built into technology itself. Atmospheric Water Generation demonstrates that innovation can preserve natural resources, empower communities, and strengthen resilience.

The future of water security lies not in extraction, but in regeneration — and in innovation driven by purpose.

Read the full original article here: Responsible Us