The ASSOCHAM India Water Leadership Conclave 2025 brought together national leaders, industry heads, and grassroots champions to drive a unified agenda for India’s water-secure future. Addressing the Conclave, Dr. Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State for Water, Ministry of Jal Shakti, highlighted India’s major progress under the unified Ministry of Jal Shakti. He noted that initiatives such as Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana, PMKSY, AMRUT 2.0, and Har Ghar Jal—which now covers over 80% of rural households—have delivered globally recognised improvements in water supply, conservation, and reuse.
Commending ASSOCHAM for adopting Water Use Efficiency (WUE) targets, he mentioned, “ASSOCHAM as an Industry association can catalyse water security by advancing PPP models, supporting water-tech start-ups, promoting water use efficiency, and bridging policy with on-ground practice.”. Commending ASSOCHAM for adopting Water Use Efficiency (WUE) targets, he stated, “ASSOCHAM as an industry association can catalyse water security by advancing PPP models, supporting water-tech start-ups, promoting water use efficiency, and bridging policy with on-ground practice.” This commitment was echoed by the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil, who later congratulated ASSOCHAM on X, appreciating the industry’s proactive pledges to enhance water-use efficiency, promote rainwater harvesting, increase the reuse of treated wastewater, and reduce water footprints. He added that such initiatives would play a decisive role in contributing to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat 2047” and in building a water-secure India. A compelling grassroots perspective was delivered by Padma Shri Uma Shankar Pandey, an eminent Indian social worker and water conservationist from Bundelkhand, who emphasised that “water is the basis of everything—life, health, agriculture, energy, and even spiritual practices.” Calling water “the oldest medicine,” he highlighted the massive hidden water footprint behind everyday food and rituals. Drawing on his acclaimed Jalgram model, he reminded that community-led water systems have historically sustained India, urging society to revive this responsibility and strengthening water education—from schools to universities.
Delivering the keynote address, Ms. Archana Varma, IAS, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission, stressed that water will define India’s economic future and called for stronger industry action and public participation. Building on this, the ASSOCHAM leadership underscored the need for innovation, community partnerships, and practical industry-led solutions to accelerate national water resilience. Mr. Mohd. Shaffi, Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Water Council, underscored that innovation must be the cornerstone of India’s water transition. He noted that while the country has made progress in reuse, desalination, circularity, and aquifer recharge, the next phase demands stronger benchmarks, robust data systems, deeper research, skilled talent, and unified WUE targets across high-demand sectors. Mr. Siddharth K. Desai, Co-Chair, highlighted the need for specialised water skills and announced ASSOCHAM’s upcoming certificate programmes with a premier institute. He shared that ASSOCHAM is in advanced discussions with a leading technical institute to co-develop certificate courses that strengthen employability and enable industry to access talent aligned with emerging requirements. Industry leader Mr. Pratik Pota, MD & CEO, Eureka Forbes, advocated a shift from Har Ghar Jal to Har Ghar Swachh Jal through scalable purification solutions.The Conclave concluded with a strong message: India’s water security demands coordinated action—policy reform, industry leadership, grassroots wisdom, and community ownership—working together towards a water-secure India by 2047.
