From Kolkata, a startup shows how solving water scarcity can be both purposeful and profitable, turning humid air into safe drinking water.
Homes, hospitals, and factories now receive clean water on-site, reducing their dependence on tankers, borewells, and plastic bottles.
Growing up in Kolkata, Navkaran Singh Bagga saw summer water shortages and long tanker queues, realising access to water was unequal.
Founded in 2017, Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems was built to make drinking water accessible without relying on pipes or groundwater.
Akvo designed machines that pull moisture from the air, condense it, purify it, and add minerals to create potable water on-site.
Watch how Navkaran Singh Bagga turned purpose into a sustainable brand:
Hear from the founder!
Akvo sells and services its systems, helping clients cut water costs while generating clean water without extracting natural reserves.
Since 2018, the startup has installed over 2,000 systems across 15 countries, producing more than 100 million litres of water from air.
As cities face worsening water stress, Akvo shows decentralised water solutions can be practical, scalable and built to last.
Read the story here.