AKVO AWGs have been a revelation in how water is tapped for drinking purposes in our country. However, the journey has not been smooth and is by no means over. Mr. Bagga, the main man behind this organization and idea, is continuously working tirelessly to realize his dream of providing water to the people of India. Water that is safe, clean and pure.
Here, I share with you some of his thoughts and experience behind starting and running this organization (with some minor edits).
- What was the inspiration behind this idea?
As an entrepreneur I have always tried to diversify into a new business every 5 years, first with Hospitality, then Specialised Steel and in 2016 we were looking into getting into something in the renewable/sustainable space.
I was always a person who has been very conscious environmentally and have always strived to use the best environmental practices in my personal life. The thought of generating safe drinking water had always intrigued me as each day we read about the growing water crisis which is present across India. I always thought that there must be a way where water can be sourced in an innovative way.
After a lot of research online, I looked into this amazing source of water which is practically untapped. We then went on to build a team to research into the possibility of building our own system. It took us over a year to build our first running machine.
- What challenges did the team face while working on this project?
Any business needs time to set up and I am not different from other startups. The current capacity of the company is 400 Industrial units per month and will be scaled up to 2000 units over the course of next year.
There has been and will be multiple challenges. Firstly, when it comes to the most vital life resource like water, the Government has to take adequate measures in tweaking the policies or bringing in the right laws to implement the best possible solutions. We are facing a lot of challenges policy wise at the moment as till now there is no BIS Certification for AWG’s but is there for RO and UV filtered water. Although AKVO AWGs is way ahead in terms of the purity of the water, TDS levels yet we cannot package and market this water as there is no opportunity to apply for certification from Government.
Secondly, the ever-growing dependence on underground water sources must stop. With more stringent policies which is the need of the hour unethical usage of groundwater and boring needs to be discontinued. The scale of AWGs in India is enormous and with the right guidelines.
We are going to file for patents for AKVO. The response from the market has been very encouraging with both government agencies and private institutions showing interest to procure our products. Recently we participated in the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi and received humongous response from the industries there.
- What challenges are still being faced?
We need more support from Government as it is a revolutionary project in India to fight against the water crisis faced by people. Also creating awareness among people for drinking clean safe water is a challenge as most people in rural areas are still ignorant about drinking clean water.
- When did the first machine become operational and how was the feeling after that?
The first machine became operational in May 2017. The feeling was indeed fulfilling and empowering, however we are still working to improve the functionality of the machine with more research works being carried out but keeping the costs minimal.
- How many people have been reached through this machine?
More than 2000 people have been reached through this machine.
2000 people reached and their lives transformed. In a short period of time, AKVO has left a strong mark in the minds of the people; be it in the government or the industries or the general public.
A technology of this sort requires support from institutions like BIS and the government. BIS marking proves to be a litmus test for new technologies, and if approved, opens the product to a wide market. AKVO is taking the right path in ensuring that they reach the maximum number of people and revolutionize the way we produce drinking water in India.
Want to know more about AKVO? Please check out their website here or read the earlier blog post I wrote covering their technology and it’s advantages.
Eco-intelligent™ 