Govt launches Rs 200-crore programme to support startups in water sector
The Centre has launched a Rs 200-crore programme to support startups in the water sector with the aim of accelerating innovations that help address the country’s critical water challenges.
The MAHA Water Mission, jointly launched by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Union Jal Shakti Minstry, is a five-pronged initiative for water resource management, drinking water, water quality, efficiency and climate adaptation.
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh formally launched the Mission that seeks to provide up to Rs 20 crore to selected multidisciplinary consortia for technology development, field assessment, validation and deployment of high‑impact water solutions.
The MAHA Water Mission has been conceived as a national platform to accelerate innovation in the water sector by connecting science, entrepreneurship, industry, academia and grassroots action, according to an official statement.
With a projected outlay of Rs 200 crore over five years, jointly contributed by ANRF and Ministry of Jal Shakti, the programme will support multidisciplinary consortia involving universities, national laboratories, research organisations, startups, MSMEs and industry partners.
The mission will focus on five priority themes – water resource assessment and sustainable management, drinking water, water quality and ecological health, water use efficiency and circular economy, and climate resilience and adaptation. It aims to support innovations from laboratory research to field deployment while generating scalable and localised solutions for strengthening India’s long-term water security.
Dr Jitendra Singh said ANRF has emerged as a national platform for mission-driven innovation and has already launched missions for advancement in high-impact areas (MAHA) in strategic sectors including electric vehicles, drones, medical technologies, 6G communications and water. He referred to the Government’s broader Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) framework, saying it would provide an additional pathway for technologies emerging from mission programmes such as MAHA Water to progress towards commercialisation and large-scale deployment.
The minister encouraged startups, researchers, innovators and institutions to actively participate in the opportunities being created through ANRF and contribute to building indigenous solutions for national priorities.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Patil said water security is fundamental to India’s developmental aspirations and called for greater integration of research, innovation and public participation in water management. Patil expressed confidence that the MAHA Water Mission would help generate practical and scalable solutions for the country’s water sector.
