MAHA Water Mission launched to support StartUps in water sector

Why in News?

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti have launched the MAHA Water Mission with a financial outlay of ₹200 crore. The mission aims to promote innovation, technology development, and startup-led solutions to address India’s growing water challenges.

About the MAHA Water Mission

• MAHA stands for Missions for Advancement in High-Impact Areas.
• The mission has been designed as a national platform that brings together science, entrepreneurship, industry, academia, and grassroots stakeholders to accelerate innovation in the water sector.
• The programme will be implemented over a period of five years with a total budget of ₹200 crore, jointly contributed by ANRF and the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Key Features

• The mission will support multidisciplinary consortia comprising universities, national laboratories, research institutions, startups, MSMEs, and industry partners.
• Selected consortia can receive financial support of up to ₹20 crore for technology development, field assessment, validation, and deployment of innovative solutions.
• It seeks to facilitate the transition of innovations from laboratory research to large-scale field implementation.

Priority Areas

The MAHA Water Mission will focus on five major themes:

1. Water Resource Assessment and Sustainable Management.
2. Drinking Water.
3. Water Quality and Ecological Health.
4. Water Use Efficiency and Circular Economy.
5. Climate Resilience and Adaptation.

Objectives

• To develop scalable and localized solutions for water-related challenges.
• To strengthen India’s long-term water security.
• To encourage collaboration among researchers, industry, startups, and policymakers.
• To promote technology-driven and sustainable water management practices.

About ANRF

• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is India’s apex body for promoting research and innovation.
• It was established through the ANRF Act, 2023.
• The foundation aims to strengthen the country’s research ecosystem by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, government, and research institutions.

Other MAHA Missions

It is an initiative of the ANRF under the Ministry of Science and Technology. ANRF has already launched MAHA missions in several strategic sectors, including:

• Electric Vehicles (EVs)
• Drones
• Medical Technologies
• 6G Communications
• Water Sector,

Source: PIB