Thursday
October 20
2022

Corporates Can Bring Value to the Sanitation Ecosystem by Partnering With SMEs in India

By

As the sanitation economy grows significantly in India, the current ecosystem requires enhanced participation from corporations to ensure India achieves its SDGs by 2030. Multistakeholder participation, therefore, becomes a priority among private and public sector players to enable universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation. Globally, the lack of basic sanitation facilities for 1.7 billion people with 494 million subjected to unsafe sanitation, leaving them susceptible to the COVID-19 virus and other diseases are two unsettling realities that were highlighted at the peak of the pandemic and extended lockdowns.

Combating the matter in question, the Indian Government aims to implement the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 till 2026 with an outlay of 1.41 lakh crore. However, universal sanitation can only be achieved with greater collaboration where private companies, governments and NGOs come together to realize a shared dream. Along with the Union Government’s work, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly introducing appropriate technology and focus-driven people into the sanitation economy. As the sanitation economy is expected to grow significantly in the region, the ecosystem requires more support, participation, and investments from corporations. This market holds an untapped potential for leading businesses to explore and foster further growth. R&D and Investments are two vital keys that will yield solutions in improving access and availability of safe water and sanitation practices. Given their existing capabilities and expertise, another essential area of opportunity for private players is capturing, treating, and reutilizing human waste.

Photo courtesy of Photo by Ajay Tallam.

Source: Live Mint (link opens in a new window)

Categories
WASH
Tags
corporations, global development, MSMEs, NGOs, sanitation, SDGs