Israel-India Business Guide - Agriculture &Water
34
I
ndia is the world’s second largest water consuming
country. In recent years, the rapid industrialization
and growing population have increased the disparity
between the supply and demand of water.The enhanced
need for water has not been matched by commensurate
growth in water infrastructure.The level of investments
and technological innovations that are required to meet
the water challenges make it an ideal opportunity for the
government to engage private companies under newer
public-private partnership model to cater to the water
demands.The table below highlights the demand by
different categories of users
Water Demand by User Categories
(billion cubic meters)
Sector
2010
2025
2050
Irrigation
688
910
1,072
Industry
12
23
63
Drinking
Water
56
73
102
Others
57
87
210
Total
813
1,093
1,447
Source: Standing Committee of Ministry of Water Resources
India, which is home to 16% of the world’s population,
has only 2.5% of the world’s land area and 4% of its water
resources. Precipitation in the form of rain and snowfall
provides over 4,000 trillion liters (TL) of fresh water to the
country. Most of this freshwater is carried out to the sea
and ocean via the many large rivers flowing across the
subcontinent. A portion of this water is absorbed by the
soil and is stored in underground aquifers. A much smaller
percentage is stored in inland water bodies including
natural (lakes and ponds) and man-made (tanks and
reservoirs) water bodies. Out of the 1,869 TL of water
reserves in the country, only an estimated 1,122 TL can be
utilized due to topographic constraints and distribution
issues. Furthermore, the demand for water has been
increasing rapidly in the past few decades. India’s current
water consumption is approximately 581TL, with irrigation
needs accounting for a staggering 89%, followed by
domestic use at 5% and industrial consumption at 6%.
Demand and Supply - Both Create Opportunities
The attractive investment potential of water sector opens
up a vast space for private sector companies to bring
newer technological andmanagerial solutions tomeet the
challenges of the water space. With a growing population,
which is urbanizing at a brisk pace, the mechanisms to
store, clean, and deliver water are increasingly becoming
important and presenting business opportunities. It is
estimate that the total potential business in the water
sector can amount to US$30 billion annually.
Water in India
Opportunities in
Water Management
Sector in India
The enhanced need for water in India has not been
matched by commensurate growth in water infrastructure.
Several Israeli projects and technologies are trying to make
a difference in the current picture
Sateesh Kulkarni *
Water
