Module 2: NaWaTech Business Development

India is facing a water and sanitation crisis that might hinder the economical development of the nation, being water scarcity and pollution one of the most severe national-wide environmental problems. Traditionally, the water and sanitation sector in the country has been owned and operated by the government, however not being able to solve all the problems on its own, the government is encouraging the private sector to participate in this complex process through partnership programs and regulatory reforms. This opens a wide range of opportunities for business in the different areas of water management and sanitation.

Wastewater treatment in India has become an extremely important area of focus due to increasing health awareness and population pressure. Despite the wastewater sector witnessing major growth in the last decade due to increasing government support and private participation, the scale of the problem remains enormous. In India it is estimated that 22’900 MLD (million of litres per day) of domestic wastewater is generated from urban centres, while the installed treatment capacity available is only for 5'900 MLD. Thus, there is a huge gap in treatment of domestic wastewater. This scenario indicates how the wastewater treatment market in India has immense untapped potential.

This module presents a number of tools for the development of Business Models in the water and sanitation sector, in particular to commercialise wastewater treatment technologies and systems selected by the NaWaTech consortium. Furthermore, a second section contains a group of factsheets to support entrepreneurs while writing their business plan, considering marketing components, action plans, risk analysis and financial issues.