1 Copyright © 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

2

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

3

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

4

Water Crisis: Interventions by the Tata Group

Tata Companies

Offering

Choices

Tata Trusts

Direct

Mitigation

TCS Labs-TRDDC

R&D

5

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

Dire

ct

Mitig

atio

n

6

Tata Companies: Offering Choices

Packaged Water Household Purifiers

Offeri

ng C

hoic

es

Large-scale Treatment

7

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

Resea

rch &

Develo

pm

en

t

8

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

Co

nsis

ten

t P

erf

orm

an

ce

11

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

15

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 !