A new case study, From Gujarat to India: Water Lessons for the World, documenting the evolution of water governance in Gujarat and India between 2001 and 2026, was launched at IIM Bangalore today. It draws lessons for policymakers and practitioners across the Global South.

Shri Ashok Kumar Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India,  authors of the case study Dr. Daniel W. Smith, Assistant professor at George Mason University, Dr. Nitin Bassi, fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water and Shri Parameswaran Iyer, former secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, Prof. Gopal Naik, Chairperson, Senior Fellow and Jal Jeevan Mission Chair Professor at the Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bengaluru and Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar, Director l, IIMB attended the launch event.

Addressing as the Keynote speaker, Shri Ashok Kumar Meena said, ensuring water for every citizen has been a priority for the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. The lesson has always been: when water becomes a people’s mission, backed by strong institutions, steady investment, and Gram Panchayat ownership, change follows at scale. What began in one state has become a national commitment, and work will be relentless until safe, reliable water reaches every household in the country.

Shri Ashok Kumar  Meena detailed how Gujarat’s successful turnaround from acute water scarcity to surplus through the Sardar Sarovar project and the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) provided the blueprint for nationwide programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission. This framework introduced a distinct two-tier model: state governments oversee bulk water infrastructure, while Gram Panchayats and village committees manage last-mile delivery. In 2019, this approach drove a historic national policy shift away from shared community standposts toward delivering functional household tap connections directly inside rural homes.

Building on the physical infrastructure established so far, the mission is now transitioning into "JJM 2.0," pivoting from asset creation to long-term service delivery. Under this phase, state macro-utilities will continue operating bulk supplies, while village panchayats run localized micro-utilities. To sustain these operations, funding will be reinforced through grants and convergence with rural development schemes, alongside locally collected user fees retained by panchayats for routine maintenance. Managing the safe disposal of wastewater is essential, as roughly 80% of supplied tap water turns into greywater that must be handled locally through soak pits, village drainage, kitchen gardens and decentralized treatment. 

A central conclusion of the study is that water security is as much a governance challenge as an engineering challenge. Infrastructure must be underpinned by the 4Ps: political leadership, public financing, partnerships and people’s participation. The seeds of these lessons were sown in Gujarat starting in 2001 and then scaled up across the country under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

Shri Parameswaran Iyer, former Secretary to the Government of India and co-author of the study, said, Delivering water at scale comes down to a few things done consistently: political leadership and priority, institutions with one clear line of accountability and communities that own and maintain their own supply. Looking ahead, the study highlights the opportunity to build on India’s achievements through reliable service delivery, water quality, source sustainability, groundwater recharge, greater water-use efficiency and a circular water economy based on treatment and reuse of used water.

Prof. Gopal Naik, Jal Jeevan Mission Chair Professor at the Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bengaluru, said, Delivering water at scale is one challenge and sustaining it is another. This study brings together 25 years of experience from Gujarat and India to show what works and what comes next. Its lessons on governance, community ownership and ambition are practical ones.

Dr Nitin Bassi, co-author said, the next phase of water security in India will include the prioritisation of the circular water economy, including the optimal usage of treated used water, which is also a significant economic opportunity. The study distils India’s experience into four lessons that countries across the Global South may find useful: lead with governance, not hardware; manage the water resource and the water service together; root initiatives in community ownership; and go big, matching ambitious goals with political will, financing and administrative capacity.

Daniel W. Smith, co-author said, India’s water journey offers lessons well beyond its borders. The central message is that water security at scale requires strong water governance. Countries across the world can learn from these governance lessons and adapt them to their own circumstances as they work toward universal and sustainable water security.

The launch was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Gopal Naik of IIM Bangalore, bringing together the study’s authors, water practitioners and policymakers.

 

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