PAVITRA GANGA · Project

Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse Solutions Ready for the Indian Market

environmentPilotedTRL 6

India's rivers are choking on untreated sewage and industrial waste, and the government is pouring resources into fixing it. This project brought European water-treatment know-how to India and built two real pilot systems — one in New Delhi and one in Kanpur — to clean up open drains before they dump into the Ganges. The twist: instead of just cleaning the water and throwing it away, these systems recover energy, nutrients, and reusable water from the waste, turning a cost center into a revenue stream. Think of it as recycling for dirty water, where what comes out is cleaner water, biogas, and recovered materials.

By the numbers

pilot sites established (New Delhi and Kanpur)

consortium partners

countries involved

industrial partners in the consortium

project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

India's cities generate massive volumes of untreated wastewater that flows through open drains directly into rivers, creating public health crises and environmental damage. Existing treatment infrastructure is outdated and underfunded, yet the Indian government's Namami Gange programme is actively seeking cost-effective solutions. Companies wanting to enter this enormous market need proven, affordable technologies validated under real Indian conditions — not European lab results that don't translate.

The solution

What was built

The project built and operated 2 pilot wastewater treatment systems at the Barapullah Drain in New Delhi and the Jajmau plant in Kanpur, along with analytical protocols for detecting trace organic compounds, heavy metals, and microbials. It also established open innovation test sites and a training network for water professionals.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal water utilities operating in Indian citiesEnvironmental engineering firms bidding on South Asian water infrastructure projectsWaste-to-energy and resource recovery technology companiesWater treatment equipment manufacturers looking to enter the Indian marketInternational development organizations funding water and sanitation projects in India

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Water and wastewater utilities

enterprise

Target: Municipal water utilities or private wastewater operators serving Indian cities

If you are a wastewater utility operator struggling with aging treatment plants and open drain pollution in Indian cities — this project developed and piloted upgrade solutions at 2 sites in New Delhi and Kanpur that remove organic pollution, heavy metals, and emerging compounds. The technologies are designed to be cost-efficient and require limited investment, making them suited for retrofitting existing Indian infrastructure.

Environmental engineering and consulting

mid-size

Target: Engineering firms bidding on water infrastructure projects in South Asia

If you are an environmental engineering firm looking to enter or expand in India's water treatment market — this project created a business and technology platform with 15 partners across 7 countries, plus open innovation test sites and training networks. The tested solutions cover waste-to-energy, water reuse, and resource recovery, giving you proven reference cases for Indian conditions.

Circular economy and resource recovery

SME

Target: Companies specializing in waste-to-energy or nutrient recovery from wastewater

If you are a resource recovery company looking for proven circular-economy applications in wastewater — this project demonstrated waste-to-energy and resource recovery at pilot scale in Indian urban settings. With 4 industrial partners already in the consortium and 2 pilot sites operational, the project provides validated data on what can be extracted profitably from Indian municipal wastewater.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these wastewater treatment solutions?

The project explicitly designed solutions to be cost-efficient and require limited investments, targeting the Indian market. However, specific per-unit or per-plant cost figures are not available in the project data. Contact the coordinator for detailed cost breakdowns from the 2 pilot installations.

Can these solutions scale to full-size municipal wastewater plants?

The project piloted at 2 real sites — the Barapullah Drain in New Delhi and the Jajmau plant in Kanpur — which are actual urban wastewater infrastructure, not lab setups. These pilots were designed to demonstrate scalability for urban and peri-urban areas across India.

What is the IP situation — can we license these technologies?

The consortium includes 15 partners across 7 countries, with 4 industrial partners and 2 SMEs. IP arrangements would need to be negotiated with the coordinator (VITO, Belgium) and relevant technology-developing partners. As a publicly funded RIA project, results are subject to EU dissemination and access rules.

Does this meet Indian regulatory requirements for wastewater discharge?

The project was designed in direct alignment with India's Namami Gange programme and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. It focused on removing organic pollution, heavy metals, and emerging compounds that have the biggest impact on Indian streams, addressing key regulatory targets.

How long did it take to set up and test the pilot systems?

The project ran for 5 years, from February 2019 to January 2024. The 2 pilot sites were set up in collaboration with local partners and Indian government programmes. Exact setup timelines for individual pilots are not specified in the available data.

Can these solutions integrate with existing wastewater infrastructure?

Yes — the project specifically targeted upgrading existing wastewater infrastructure rather than building from scratch. Solutions were designed to add treatment systems to open drains and upgrade current plants, minimizing disruption and capital expenditure.

Is there a trained local workforce to support deployment?

The project established a training and learning network and open innovation test sites specifically to build Indian water professional capacity, aligned with India's Skill India programme. This means there is an existing network of trained practitioners who can support further deployment.

Consortium

Who built it

The 15-partner consortium spans 7 countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden) with a balanced mix: 5 universities providing research depth, 4 research organizations, and 4 industrial partners (including 2 SMEs) ensuring commercial relevance. The coordinator is VITO, Belgium's top technology research organization — not an SME but a well-connected public research body with strong industry transfer track record. At 27% industry ratio, the consortium is research-heavy but includes enough commercial players to validate market fit. Critically, Indian partners are embedded in the consortium, which means on-the-ground relationships and regulatory knowledge are built in — essential for anyone wanting to enter that market.

VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V.Coordinator · BE
AQUA-Q ABparticipant · SE
AQUAFIN NVparticipant · BE
FACHHOCHSCHULE NORDWESTSCHWEIZ FHNWparticipant · CH
STICHTING IHE DELFT INSTITUTE FOR WATER EDUCATIONparticipant · NL
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
STICHTING AKVOparticipant · NL
THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES INSTITUTEparticipant · IN
HOCHSCHULE BOCHUM FUER TECHNIK, WIRTSCHAFT UND GESUNDHEITparticipant · DE
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHIparticipant · IN
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

VITO (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek), Belgium — contact via project website or CORDIS portal

Order a report on this consortium See VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V. profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the PAVITRA GANGA team for technology licensing or deployment partnership in India? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right consortium partner for your needs.

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