In India’s rapidly growing cities, water scarcity is no longer a future threat; it’s a daily struggle. Bengaluru’s wells are running dry, Chennai has faced zero-day scenarios, and even Mumbai and Kolkata are starting to feel the pressure. Despite growing awareness, a crisis often seems distant until it’s on tap.
“We don’t value water until we run out of it,” says Navkaran Singh Baga, founder and CEO of Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems. “But the truth is we’re already in a crisis. It’s just unevenly distributed. Some people have more than they need, and others are forced to drink unsafe water, and that’s what pushed me to take action.”
Navkaran did not come from the world of ecology and technology. Born and raised in Calcutta, studied finance and accounting. But it was his deep-rooted fascination with technology, which began as a child taking apart VCRs (VCRs) and building his own computers, that eventually shaped his life’s work.
“I’ve always been more curious than cautious. At the time, I didn’t know the focus would be on water, but once I saw how neglected the space was, especially in terms of innovation, I knew it was everything,” he says. Best India.
In 2017, he launched “Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems” with the vision of creating machines that can produce clean drinking water straight from the air.
Without the backing of investors or government grants, he set out to prove that safe and sustainable water could be delivered without reliance on pipelines, groundwater extraction or plastic bottles.
From rarefied air to drinking water
The inspiration for the company’s technology is a simple question that few people stop to ask themselves: Why don’t we use the water that’s already around us?
Every day, the atmosphere carries enormous amounts of moisture, even in seemingly dry conditions. Akvo’s Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) are designed to capture this humidity and convert it into potable water.
The process begins by drawing in ambient air through a system of fans. This air is then filtered to remove dust and pollutants. After it’s cleaned, it goes into a cold room where it cools down to a temperature that causes condensation—the same process you see when a cold drink sweats on a hot day. These water droplets are collected in a food grade stainless steel tank.
The collected water then goes through several stages of purification. It passes through sediment and carbon filters to remove any residual particles and odors. The final ultraviolet (UV) treatment ensures the neutralization of any bacteria and viruses.
Essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium are added to improve flavor and nutritional profile. The final product is mineral balanced water not from the ground, but from the air itself.
“We don’t filter existing water. We create it from a completely new source,” explains the 39-year-old founder. “This is of real importance in places where traditional water sources are unavailable or unreliable.”
Designed for those places where it is most needed
Akvo machines are particularly well suited to tropical and coastal regions where humidity levels are higher, including cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Under ideal conditions, one unit of electricity can produce up to four liters of water.
In places with lower humidity like Bengaluru, the efficiency is closer to two and a half liters per unit, which is still significant, especially when the alternative is no water at all.
Cars also adapt when it comes to power. They can run on regular electricity, solar panels, or even diesel generators, making them suitable for off-grid areas and emergency response areas.
“Water should not be a luxury,” says Navkaran. “And with the right technology, it doesn’t have to be. We can decentralize access to clean water.”
Since the first commercial deployment in 2018, the company has installed more than 2,000 systems in 15 countries. From South India to South America, machines have produced more than 100 million liters of clean drinking water without drawing a single drop from the ground.
The machines are currently installed in six Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, and have expanded to countries around the world including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and several South American countries such as Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.
Water solutions that work for everyone
Beyond the science and technology, it’s the stories of the people who use the machines that make the impact feel real.
In Gujarat, PGP Glass Private Limited, a major manufacturer of decorative glass for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, was looking for sustainable alternatives to bottled water for its workforce.
“When we looked at our environmental footprint, we realized that water use was a blind spot,” says Sudish Menon, project manager. “At Akvo, we were impressed not only by the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology, but also by how simple and efficient the system is. There is no wasted water, no complicated maintenance, and it provides our employees with clean drinking water every day. It may seem like a small change, but it has made a big difference in our daily work.”
At Corewire Surface Technology, a manufacturer of welding consumables, sustainability has always been a company value, but realizing it has not always been easy.
“We had all these policies to reduce plastic and energy consumption. But when it came to water, we still relied on plastic bottles. Akvo gave us a practical way to change that. It’s nice to know that we’re not just talking about change, we’re contributing to it,” says Sabin, their procurement specialist.
Among the most interesting examples is the Tuppadahalli wind farm in Karnataka, which is operated by Acciona, a renewable energy company.
“We produce clean electricity for tens of thousands of homes,” says Sumanta VS, the company’s manager.
“It didn’t make sense that we were still delivering bottled water. With Akvo, we’re now producing clean water on-site, just like we do with electricity. It’s balanced, efficient and, frankly, overdue.”
Scaling without sales
Akvo operates with a dedicated team of 38 people and, by design, has never brought in outside investors. The founder explains that this is a strategic decision to maintain full control over the direction of the company and remain committed to its mission without external pressure.
“We didn’t want to be driven to chase profit at the expense of purpose,” he explains. “With sustainable growth, we’ve been able to stay true to what we started with.”
The company offers customers two flexible options. The first is a simple purchase model where companies buy the system outright. The second is an OPEX-based model known as Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT).
In this setup, Akvo installs and operates the system at the customer’s site without any initial investment. The customer pays for the amount of water consumed. It’s a hassle-free way to access clean water, avoiding capital costs and ongoing maintenance.
“For many businesses, the upfront cost of sustainability is what prevents them from making the transition. We’ve removed that barrier,” says Navkaran.
The systems range in capacity from small units with a capacity of 50 liters per day to industrial units producing up to 30,000 liters per day. A hospital in Mumbai reported a 22% reduction in water procurement costs after switching to Akvo.
Next steps in the water revolution
The company already has a presence in parts of Africa and the Persian Gulf, but is now looking to significantly increase its footprint. With humidity levels well suited to its technology and water scarcity at a critical level, the company is seeking new partnerships to install more atmospheric water generators and increase access to sustainable drinking water.
“These regions need moisture,” says the founder. “We aim to create the most cost-effective water production systems and deploy them where they are needed most.” However, he remains cautious about over-promising.
“We are not going to solve the global water crisis alone,” he admits. “But if we can give people more control over their water, reduce dependence on vulnerable sources and make it sustainable, that’s a big step.”
Another way to think about water
At a time when water scarcity is becoming the norm, Akvo’s story is less about miraculous technology and more about a shift in thinking that sees water not as something we have to dig, pipe or bottle, but as something that is already all around us waiting to be used.
“The atmosphere does not discriminate; it holds water for all of us. The real question is whether we are willing to change the way we think about accessing it,” the founder concludes.
(All images courtesy of Navkaran Singh Bhaga)
