Israeli startup Watergen — a pioneer and global leader in the “Atmospheric Water Generation” (AWG) industry — signed a partnership agreement with Indian conglomerate SMV Jaipuria Group on Wednesday.
The joint venture aims to bring Watergen’s “GENius” patented AWG technology to India. SMV will be responsible for manufacturing the machines that turn humidity molecules into drinkable water in what has the potential to alleviate water pollution crises worldwide.
“Drinking water scarcity is a global crisis and one the most pressing issues of our time. At Watergen we’ve set a goal to provide everyone with access to clean drinking water from [the] air,” explains Watergen’s President and CO-CEO Dr. Michael Mirilashvili. “Our purpose also is to develop innovative and cost-effective technologies that provide clean and safe drinking water without causing harm to nature, either directly or indirectly.”
Home to 16% of the world's population, India only has 4% of the world's freshwater resources, with over 30% of districts reporting critical or overexploited groundwater levels. As a result of the continuing crisis, three-quarters of rural Indian families do not have access to clean water and must rely on unreliable water sources.
“India is amongst our top three strategic markets and together with our partner, we are determined to provide safe drinking water available for every individual, across geographies and demographics,” said Maayan Mulla, the CEO of Watergen India. “Through our enhanced GENius technology, we are fully geared to cater to the increasing industrial and consumer demand for better quality water in India.”
SVM Jaipuria Group — a multi-industry conglomerate that operates across many industries, including food & beverage, retail, real estate, IT, and specialty chemicals — aims to tackle this crisis with the help of Watergen, whose devices are deployed in more than 90+ countries around the world and extremely cost-effective.
For instance, Watergen’s devices can produce five gallons of drinking water at roughly 12% of the cost of producing a five-gallon bottle, according to the company.
“As the population in India increasingly struggles to access clean, natural water, Watergen’s innovative technology can pose a game-changing solution. This joint venture is a step towards empowering the people of India with the access to the most essential necessity for survival,” said Chaitanya Jaipuria, the Director of SMV Jaipuria.
“We are confident that with Watergen, we will be able to make safe drinking water accessible to people from the most remote rural village communities to commercial office buildings to private homes,” Jaipuria concluded.