The document summarizes Tata Group's efforts to address India's water problems through various initiatives by its companies and trusts. It discusses interventions like setting up water purification plants, rainwater harvesting systems, and research on low-cost household water filters by TCS Innovation Labs to provide access to safe drinking water, especially in rural areas. Key projects mentioned include the Sujal rural water filter project deploying affordable filters made with rice husk ash, and the Tata Swach water purifier removing arsenic and fluoride at low costs. The overall goal is to develop inexpensive, portable purification solutions to tackle contamination issues affecting millions in India.

1. 1Copyright © 2013 Tata Consultancy Services Limited
R&D in Low-cost Water Purification
TCS Innovation Labs – TRDDC
Global R&D Summit, 25-26 July 2013
Chetan Malhotra

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India’s Water Problems
Water
Stress
Water
Contamination
Waterborne
Disease
• India is the largest user of
groundwater in the world
• 60% agri & 85% drinking water
• Most groundwater becoming
hazardous to drink
• Over half of all Indians do not
have access to a toilet
• 80% of sewage flows
untreated into rivers
• 70% of surface water and 30%
of river stretches are polluted
• 10 million people suffer from
diarrhea annually
• 700,000 annual deaths from
diarrhea
• 200,000 children under 5 die of
diarrhea

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The Tata Group Ethos
“In a free enterprise, the community
is not just another stakeholder, but
is, in fact, the very purpose of its
existence”
- J. N. Tata

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Water Crisis: Interventions by the Tata Group
Tata Companies
Offering
Choices
Tata Trusts
Direct
Mitigation
TCS Labs-TRDDC
R&D

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Tata Trusts: Direct Mitigation & Policy Research
Groundwater
Salinity
Kharash Vistarotthan
Yojana in Gujarat
• Setting up RO Plants
• 150 Rainwater Harvesting
Systems
Coastal Area
Development
Programme to combat
groundwater salinity in
400 villages in Gujarat
• Provide 40 lpcd domestic
and 5 lpcd drinking water
to 15000 households
Fluoride
Contamination
Setting up RO Plants in
Nalgonda and
Warangal
Providing kalsi-based
water filters in Jhabua,
MP
Nutrition programmes
for children in Jhabua,
MP
Water Policy
IWMI-Tata Water
Policy Research
Programme to study
ways to avert the
impending water crisis
in India
DirectMitigation

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Tata Companies: Offering Choices
Packaged WaterHousehold Purifiers
OfferingChoices
Large-scale Treatment

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Water Purification R&D at
TCS Innovation Labs – TRDDC
Low-cost Water Filters for Rural Communities
Inexpensive Adsorbents for Arsenic & Fluoride
Low-cost Household Water Purifiers
Water Purifiers for removal of Arsenic & Fluoride
Portable Water Purification Solutions
Research&Development

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The SujalTM Rural Water Filter Project
 Over 70 NGOs and 500 communities trained
in making their own Sujal filters
 30,000 Sujal filters deployed in rural
households across India
 1500 Sujal filters deployed during the
Gujarat earthquake and Asian tsunami
Bed of rice husk ash + pebbles + cement
fitted in two plastic containers
Gujarat
1000 filters
Maharashtra
8500 filters
M.P.
2600 filters
U.P.
1000 filters
Bihar
1600 filters
Orissa
1600 filters
A.P.
700 filters

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Features
– Purifies 3000 lit without losing effectiveness
– Tested across national and international labs against challenge
levels prescribed by the USEPA
– Uses eco-friendly rice husk ash and nano-silver
– Low price points of only Rs.1199 & Rs.899
– Replacement cost of Rs. 349 for 6 months
– Protected by 9 patents filed by TRDDC & Tata Chemicals
Affordable Nanotech Water Purifier
Tata Swach® is the result of a 3 year research collaboration
between TRDDC and Tata Chemicals Ltd.
The Tata Swach® Household Water Purifier
Tata Swach was unveiled by Tata Group
Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata on 7 Dec 2009

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Compact Water Purification Cartridge
Features
 Synergistic Disinfection Technology
 USEPA reduction for bacteria and viruses
 Compact and robust cartridge
 Life Indicator and Auto-Shut-Off
 Integrated Water Level Sensor
ConsistentPerformance

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The Arsenic Situation in India
80 million people
suffering from
arsenic poisoning
in India and
Bangladesh
“Largest Mass
Poisoning of a
Population in
Human History”
– WHO

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The Fluoride Situation in India
 Fluorosis begins with dental discoloration
 Eventually leads to bent limbs and crippling
 Fluorosis affects children most due to
combination of drinking fluoride-rich water,
malnutrition and calcium deficiency
 Fluorosis affected children have constant pain
in their joints

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Our Goals to tackle the Arsenic & Fluoride Problems
To develop Household Purifiers for removal of
Arsenic & Fluoride which
Are Inexpensive
Are Compact
Do not require piped water
Do not require electricity
Need Minimal User Intervention
Meet the needs
of the affected
populations

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Arsenic Removal Cartridge
Meets WHO
and USEPA
limits for
Arsenic in
drinking water
Delivers
arsenic-free
water at
only 5p / lit

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Fluoride Removal Cartridge
Meets WHO
and USEPA
limits for
Fluoride in
drinking water
Delivers
fluoride-free
water at only
20p / lit

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Through all our Innovations …

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Our Goal Remains …
“To Offer Affordable Water Purification
Solutions to those who Need them the Most”
Thank you !