Transforming India’s Water Sector: Non-Revenue Water Trends & Growth Opportunities

Non‑Revenue Water (NRW) remains a major challenge for many Indian cities, where water utilities continue to struggle with operational inefficiencies, high levels of water loss, and under‑recovery of costs. With water demand rising sharply due to rapid urbanisation and population growth, these losses intensify water‑scarcity pressures and undermine the ability of cities to deliver a reliable and adequate water supply.

According to a recent World Bank study, NRW levels in many cities exceed 40 percent, meaning a significant share of treated water is either lost or unbilled – directly contributing to limited-service hours and reduced distribution efficiency.

Over the past few years, the Government of India has prioritised major investments in water infrastructure through programmes such as AMRUT, with an emphasis on expanding household tap-level connections. This growing momentum presents a strong opportunity for UK companies to explore the evolving water sector landscape.

During this session, our speakers from the UK Department for Business and Trade, based at the British High Commission in India, will provide a general overview of the water sector in India, along with insights into the recent UK-India Free Trade Agreement and its implications for ease of doing business.

We will also be joined by private sector operators in India who will explore the scope of public investments in the Indian water supply sector and how the private sector can utilise funding from government programmes, before sharing perspectives on the policy and regulatory landscape for non-revenue water management. They will highlight challenges and opportunities in the water supply sector for UK companies, specifically related to leakage detection technologies. Finally, we will hear insights from UK private sector companies who will share relevant insights to the Indian water sector from the Global Leakage Summit.