India, July 1 -- India's water and wastewater treatment market, valued at $13.1 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $23.85 billion by 2033. This number mirrors India's accelerating urbanisation, climate fragility, and industrial thirst. In 2020, urban centres generated over 72.4 billion litres per day (BLD) of sewage; yet, the installed treatment capacity stood at just 31.84 BLD. The deficit of over 40 BLD represents a staggering gap in basic infrastructure. Progress here is unbalanced: Maharashtra treated over 8 BLD in end-2023, while Bihar treated under 0.4 BLD, despite comparable population pressures.

A country that aims to supply piped drinking water to every rural household continues to lose billions of litres of water daily beca...