New Delhi, Feb. 26 -- Top economists in India have advocated for pricing water as a commodity, arguing that a structured pricing mechanism could help manage the country's growing water crisis.

Speaking at the Anil Agarwal Dialogue, an annual media conclave held in Nimli, Rajasthan on February 26, 2025, experts like Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission and Amitabh Kant, former chief executive of central public policy think tank NITI Aayog, warned that water issues in India would worsen over time, with reduced water availability.

On the other hand, Sunita Narain, director general of Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, cautioned that managing water resources through pricing wo...