Clean drinking water for all
in partnership with
INR 2.5 crore prize purse
Ashirvad Water Challenge
Clean Drinking Water for All
in partnership with
INR 2.5 Crore Prize Purse
According to a recent study by NITI Aayog, over 600 million Indians face acute water shortages. In 2019, only 3.29 crore out of 19 crore rural households had access to tap water, and women walked long distances to get water. Access to sufficient clean drinking water is still a significant issue in many parts of the country, and adoption of effective solutions at scale has not happened due to multiple factors (especially in rural areas).
To address critical water challenges, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was started by the Ministry of Jal Shakti on August 15, 2019, to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
Complementing the efforts of JJM, The/Nudge Prize-Ashirvad Water Challenge with a prize purse of INR 2.5 crores, invites innovators to create solutions that will ensure clean drinking water for all Indians by 2024.
OVERVIEW

Clean drinking water for all

Access to sufficient clean water is still a significant issue in many parts of India, and adoption at the scale of effective solutions has not happened due to poor service and enablement of long term use (especially in rural India).

With “Clean Drinking Water for All”, The/Nudge Prize, powered by Ashirvad, aims to solve this problem through entrepreneurial initiatives.

What is the challenge?

Increasing access to clean drinking water for 19 crore rural households

Access to sufficient clean water is still a significant issue in many parts of India, and adoption at scale of effective solutions has not happened due to many factors (especially in rural areas). With The/Nudge Prize | Clean Drinking Water for All powered by Ashirvad, we aim to solve this problem through entrepreneurial initiatives.

Why this initiative?
The/Nudge Prize and Ashirvad Pipes have partnered to launch this challenge to encourage innovators and entrepreneurs to find innovative, environment friendly solutions with a potential for sustainable impact at scale.
With the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission by the Govt of India, the challenge for entrepreneurs is to come up with innovative solutions to provide clean drinking water at a low cost along with high quality service to households. The innovations may range from disruptive technology & business models to bringing behavioral change in communities.

Solutions may include but not limited to

  • Source water purification to remove metal contamination and other impurities.
  • Smart Distribution and Storage provisions ensuring sustained drinking water availability to communities.
  • Provisions for clean drinking water in difficult terrains and removing social barriers to access.
  • Recycling solutions like water source recharge, desalination, wastewater treatment to increase availability of drinking water in regions with water scarcity.
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Low Cost Solution
cost to the buyer should be equal or lesser than existing solutions
Increased Access
any additional water provided to households should be directly attributable to the solution
Long Term Adoption
buyer or end user should understand the solution provided and know how to keep it operational
Environmental impact
impact on land, air and other natural resources should be explicitly addressed
Provision of O&M
Operations and maintenance service should be taken care of and included in the solution
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria

Low Cost Solution
cost to the buyer should be equal or lesser than existing solutions
Increased Access
any additional water provided to households should be directly attributable to the solution
Long Term Adoption
buyer or end user should understand the solution provided and know how to keep it operational
Environmental impact
impact on land, air and other natural resources should be explicitly addressed
Provision of O&M
Operations and maintenance service should be taken care of and included in the solution
Impact
cost to the buyer should be equal or lesser than existing solutions
Sustainability
any additional water provided to households should be directly attributable to the solution
Scalability
buyer or end user should understand the solution provided and know how to keep it operational

Advisors

Prof Asit K. Biswas
Renowned Water Expert
Jayamala Subramaniam
CEO, Arghyam
VK Madhavan
CEO, WaterAid India
Vedika Bhandarkar
COO, Water.org
Yugal Kishore Joshi
Director, Jal Jeevan Mission
PARTNERS

Helping on scale

Access to sufficient clean water is still a significant issue in many parts of India, and adoption at the scale of effective solutions has not happened due to poor service and enablement of long term use (especially in rural India).

With “Clean Drinking Water for All”, The/Nudge Prize, powered by Ashirvad, aims to solve this problem through entrepreneurial initiatives.

see all partners

Partners

With our partners, we aim to bring in entrepreneurs who can provide innovative solutions to the critical issue of providing clean drinking water for all. With their ideas, volunteering and kind support, The/Nudge is looking forward to building strong communities and helping increase access to clean drinking water for 19 crore rural households.

see all partners

Timeline

Problem Research and Design

Sept - Dec 2021
  • Problem research
  • Identification of problem statement and evaluation criteria
  • Identification and onboarding of Prize partners
  • Finalise launch date

Timeline

Applications Open
February - APril 2022
Send us your innovative and scalable solutions to provide Clean Drinking Water for All
APPLY NOW
ongoing
Announcement
May 2022
Contestants for pilot phase will be announced
Pilot Phase
June - December 2022
Showcase your disruptive and evidence-based solutions.

Receive ecosystem support from Knowledge, Technology and Investor partners
Announcement
January 2023
Finalists will be announced

Milestone grant of INR 15 lakhs for 5 finalists
Finals
January - June 2023
Prove scalability and adoption of your solution.

Receive one-on-one, hands-on mentoring from the Partners.

‍Prize purse of INR 1.75 crores
APPLY

Ready with your application?

APPLY NOW

Need more time with your application?

REGISTER NOW
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