Water keeps us alive, but getting clean drinking water isn’t always simple. Across India, especially in cities and rural areas, people face broken supply lines, far-off sources, and the high price of bottled water. That’s where Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems jumped in with a pretty wild idea: what if you could just pull water straight out of the air?
How the Magic Happens
Navkaran Singh Bagga started Akvo back in 2018. The company builds Atmospheric Water Generators or AWGs. That literally pulls moisture from the air, condenses it, cleans it up, and gives you safe drinking water. These machines work well in India’s humid cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Depending on the size, they can pump out a few dozen to a few thousand litres every day.
Imagine this: a compact device kept in the corner, sucking in warm, damp air. It cools that air until droplets form, filters and cleans every drop, then adds the minerals your body needs. And just like that, you have fresh water, no wells, no pipelines, and no plastic bottles. No drying up rivers or aquifers, either.
Water-on-Want: A Smart Business Model
In 2025, Akvo tried something new: Water-on-Want, or WoW. Instead of making businesses buy these machines outright. Akvo handles everything, from installation to maintenance. Companies just pay for the water they use. This OPEX-based Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model means no hefty upfront bills. Making it way easier for companies in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat to get clean water without hassle.
Growing Impact, Growing Numbers
Since that first commercial setup, Akvo’s installed more than 2,000 units in 15 different countries. However, delivering over 100 million litres of clean water all without touching lakes, rivers, or underground reserves.
The whole thing started with just ₹5 crore and a lot of hands-on work in West Bengal. Now, Akvo’s operations stretch well beyond. Right now, they are focused on industrial-scale machines. But they are already looking at making home units and branching out to places like the Gulf.
Why Akvo Matters
Akvo isn’t just a clever bit of engineering. It’s a real answer to India’s water crisis. By turning sticky humidity into safe water, Akvo proves that smart ideas can turn scarcity into abundance. The company’s helping businesses, cities, and whole communities head toward a future where water is reliable and the planet stays healthy.
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