India's water sector offers Rs 20 lakh crore investment opportunity

New Delhi, June 30 : India could face water demand that is double its available supply by 2030, creating over Rs 20 lakh crore in investment opportunities in the next decade, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from PL Capital said that investment opportunities span across water treatment, wastewater recycling and sewage infrastructure.

India -- home to nearly 18 per cent of the world’s population but with only about 4 per cent of global freshwater resources -- is confronting growing scarcity driven by urbanisation, fast industrialisation, groundwater depletion and rising agricultural use.

The report added that such a situation makes water security a national concern, warranting significant investments in treatment, recycling, distribution, and storage systems.

“In contrast to other infrastructure-related trends, which may be associated with economic cycles, the investments in water security are structural, policy-driven, and mandatory for sustainable development," said Vikram Kasat, Chief Business Officer-Advisory, PL Capital.

Increasing urbanisation, the growth of industries, and higher environmental standards provide for a long runway of growth in water purification, water reclamation and recycling, as well as in desalination and reuse facilities, he added.

Initiatives from the government such as Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT 2.0 and Namami Gange, as well as increased allocations through the Ministry of Jal Shakti, are making investments towards better access to clean water, improved sewerage infrastructure, and enhanced wastewater treatment.

Sewage treatment is the biggest opportunity segment in the larger water infrastructure ecosystem, the report said, noting an excess of 72,000 million litres of sewage per day.

The report further noted a capacity shortfall for treating these volumes, leading to a lot of wastewater discharging into the environment.

Such a huge infrastructure deficit is expected to attract investments into sewage treatment and wastewater reuse projects.

New emerging industries such as data centres, semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, green hydrogen, and speciality chemicals are expected to become major consumers of industrial ultra-pure water.

—IANS

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