Beyond irrigation: Why India needs water intelligence, not just water access

Water is integral to India’s development. For most of the Indian population, groundwater is the most common and often only source of water available for farming and domestic use. As a result, the reality of water stress in India’s heartlands has quietly intensified. India extracts more groundwater than China and the United States combined. For decades, the response has been large-scale water infrastructure programs. However, real water security now demands a shift: moving beyond infrastructure toward water intelligence—smart, data-driven management empowered by community engagement, analytics, and advanced digital technologies.

The scale of the water crisis today calls for a transformation, one rooted in intelligence rather than just enhancing supply. This is because agriculture consumes nearly 80 per cent of India’s available freshwater while irrigation efficiency lags at around 38 per cent, well below the global average of 50 per cent. The water system in rural India is stretched to its limit, vulnerable to climate shocks, and the pressures of a growing population.

What water intelligence really means

With emerging technology, data and information have a significant role in solving the water crisis. Water intelligence is about understanding, monitoring, and managing water using real-time data, predictive tools, and proactive planning. For instance, in Nashik, farmers use soil moisture sensors and satellite-enabled weather forecasts to decide how much irrigation the crop needs, reducing wastage dramatically. Government programs such as Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture (PoCRA), help farmers co-design cropping plans by using climate data, provide linkages for smart water saving techniques in agriculture such as drip, sprinklers, and help diversify to water efficient crops. These innovations go beyond mere access; they enable intelligent decision-making.

Water stewardship as the human side of water intelligence

Yes, technology is an enabler, but stewardship gives it meaning. True water stewardship means treating water as a shared, finite resource. Today, companies globally and in India are moving beyond individual facility management towards broader, systemic change. Industry-wide participation in initiatives like the CEO Water Mandate has accelerated, signaling a new era where ambitious water targets are mainstreamed at the CEO level and integrated across value chains.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are rapidly scaling up in India, combining infrastructure investment and policy frameworks from the public sector, deep local knowledge from NGOs, and technological and operational know-how from businesses.

This paradigm shift is visible in the focus on basin-level collaboration. For example, The Godavari Initiative and Yamuna River Basin Collective Action have brought together companies, government agencies, and NGOs to co-design solutions for aquifer recharge and sustainable allocation—demonstrating that real

impact also comes from addressing local water stress within the larger river basin context. From deploying AI-powered solutions for monitoring water use in industries to ensuring efficient distribution, technology and people go hand in hand to make water use socially fair, environmentally sound, and economically beneficial.

Policy as a key driver

Water intelligence is not just about infrastructure and people. It requires strong institutions, robust policies, and a cultural shift toward sustainability. Village-level Water Users Associations, Self-Help Groups, and Farmer Producer Organizations are critical in mobilizing and educating communities, ensuring equitable sharing, and facilitating local repair and innovation. Government-led initiatives are forging the way for a water-intelligent India. POCRA, Jal Jeevan Mission and The Atal Bhujal Yojana all rely on digital monitoring tools like Digital Water Level Recorders to measure water levels and movement. Overall, India’s water policy landscape is evolving to include digital intelligence, data transparency, and grassroots.

A call for collaboration

Securing India’s water future is not the responsibility of one individual, an organization, a panchayat or the government, but instead, this is a movement where we all need to do our bit. Industry, government and people need to align forces to transform mindsets, harness innovation, and create a culture of stewardship for every drop.

The author is Senior Vice President, Integrated Operations and S&R (Sustainability & Responsibility), Pernod Ricard India

Published on August 24, 2025