Amrit Om Nayak and Krunal Patel: Revolutionizing Wastewater Treatment for a Sustainable Future

As the world grapples with issues of pollution, sustainability, and resource scarcity, innovative startups are emerging to tackle these challenges head-on. Among these visionary entrepreneurs, Amrit Om Nayak and Krunal Patel are leading the charge in the field of wastewater treatment, with their company, Indra Water. Their groundbreaking approach to wastewater management is setting new standards for efficiency, sustainability, and environmental responsibility. Wastewater is a global concern, with most of it going untreated and less than 1 percent being reused. In India, where water stress is high, zero-discharge regulations are in place, but a staggering 74 percent of wastewater remains untreated. Recognizing the severity of this issue, Amrit Om Nayak and Krunal Patel founded Indra Water in 2018, with a mission to transform wastewater treatment through innovation.

Indra Water’s approach to wastewater management is decentralized and relies on electrically-driven modular systems deployed at the source, revolutionizing the way we handle wastewater. Their patented technology is a game-changer, capable of recovering up to 99 percent of water for reuse applications. What sets Indra Water apart is its unique ability to handle a broad spectrum of pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants, suspended and dissolved pollutants, oil and grease, pathogens, and heavy metals, among others. Compared to traditional wastewater treatment methods, Indra’s solution offers remarkable advantages. It requires 25 percent less energy to operate, saving up to 40 percent on operating costs. Its compact design occupies 80 percent less space, generates 70 percent less sludge, and demands 85 percent less manpower. This not only makes the process more efficient but also significantly reduces its environmental footprint.

Based in Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Mumbai, Indra Water’s treatment technology is founded on a groundbreaking approach to mass production of water plants, featuring a novel structural reactor design. This innovation allows them to build and deploy systems four times faster than conventional methods. The positive impact of their work is substantial, with Indra having treated over 750 million liters of water and offset thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions. Their innovative approach has improved the lives of over 500,000 people.

Indra Water’s remarkable achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. In 2019, the company secured the Urban Water Challenge at World Water Week in Stockholm, triumphing over 236 companies from 38 countries. They also received the Millennium Alliance award, further validating the importance and effectiveness of their work. Indra has expanded its reach through collaborations, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Aditya Birla Group to provide technology solutions for wastewater challenges across various sectors. Other notable clients include Tata Steel, Orient Fashion, Gadre Marine Exports, Gelnova Laboratories, Delicia Foods (Monginis), and Godavari Biorefineries. Indra Water is actively engaging with major industries and corporations across India, with a collective capacity of about 6 million liters per day. The startup has also gained support from Imagine H2O, an International Water Accelerator, to expand its operations into Southeast Asian markets.

Amrit Om Nayak and Krunal Patel are exemplars of entrepreneurship that addresses critical global challenges. Their work is instrumental in revolutionizing wastewater treatment, contributing to a more sustainable future. With their groundbreaking innovations, they are proving that environmental responsibility can coexist with operational efficiency, and their contributions are set to reshape the field of wastewater management.