EverythingAboutWater, a leading knowledge and marketing solutions provider in the area of water and wastewater management in India, is organising South Asia's largest water event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from January 7 to 9, 2010.
The 7th EverythingAboutWater International Exhibition and Conference on Water and Wastewater Management 2010 is slated to be the ideal platform for companies and associations specialising in water treatment, wastewater management and all other related industries to showcase and exhibit their products and expertise under one roof.
The mega water event is expected to attract 16,000 business visitors, 300 exhibitors and 700 conference delegates. It is co-organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
EA Water Expo 2010 is being held at a time when India is facing a desperate situation in water and wastewater management. The country's fragile and finite water resources are depleting while the demands for water from various sectors of the economy are rapidly rising. In recent years, the industrial and domestic sectors have realised this disparity in the supply and demand.
Today, India's drinking water investments constitute about 3 per cent of the national budget. Due to these steps, 85 per cent of the urban and 75 per cent of the rural population has access to public water supplies, and 48 per cent of the urban and 36 per cent of the rural population to sanitation services.
The Indian water industry is at a crossroads with huge requirements for water recycling and purification of drinking water. The total domestic water market is estimated at $12 billion. While the government sector contributes about 50 per cent of this, the private sector provides the remaining business. The overall market is growing at 15-20 per cent every year with certain segments like the industrial and drinking water segments seeing even higher growth rates. EverythingAboutWater estimates the total water and wastewater treatment market size to be around $420 million.
Although the Indian market is gradually shifting from chemical treatment and DM plants to membrane technology, many huge segments like power plants and refineries continue to use DM technology. The concept of wastewater recycling and zero discharge systems is also growing in a big way. New technologies like ultrafiltration and electrodialysis are also entering the market.
The Indian water market has undergone a tremendous change in the last few years with a number of medium-size companies and small system integrators all over the country. Earlier, the water treatment industry was largely concentrated in Maharashtra, but there are now pockets of concentration in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad as well.
Many international majors have entered the market. While huge players like Veolia Water, Suez de Lyonnaise (Degremont) and VA Tech Wabag are already present in the market, chemical majors like Nalco and GE Betz-Dearborn also have operations. Indigenous development of various treatment vessels like resins, RO membranes and vessels have reduced costs and made various technologies easily available on a mass scale.
The water sector continues to face constraints as large capital investment is required for many treatment plants. However, with proper direction from the government and appropriate steps from the industry leaders, the Indian water industry is poised to take off in future.
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