Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil will on Monday inaugurate a national workshop on research and development in the water sector in New Delhi, aimed at catalysing India's next wave of water innovation through a unified platform for government, industry, and academia. The event was announced through an official ministerial statement.

Key Inaugurations and Dignitaries

The one-day workshop will be jointly inaugurated by C.R. Paatil and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. Also participating are Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary, the Secretary and Chairman of ISRO, the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DoDWS), the Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), the Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Water Mission, and the CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), along with other senior officials.

What the Workshop Covers

Multiple technical sessions will address priority themes including groundwater management, irrigation practices, river morphology, floodplain inundation mapping, climate resilience, ecological assessments, dam and hydraulic structure safety, urban aquifer mapping, and the application of remote sensing and advanced technologies in water governance.

According to the official statement, the convergence of scientific institutions, policymakers, academia, startups, technical organisations, and community stakeholders is intended to strengthen India's water research ecosystem and accelerate innovation-driven solutions for sustainable water management.

Major Launches at the Event

A flagship highlight will be the launch of MAHA on Water — Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas for Water — a joint initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the ANRF. The mission targets cutting-edge research in water resources management, drinking water, climate resilience, and water-use efficiency. An open call for research proposals under the initiative will also be announced at the workshop.

The Ministry will separately launch an open call for startups and MSMEs under the BHARAT-WIN Portal to support product and prototype development in the water sector.

The workshop will also see the launch of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB: CTR), a participatory digital platform designed to enable citizens, institutions, and local bodies to document water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge initiatives. The platform is framed around the 'Whole of Government and Whole of Society' vision, promoting grassroots innovation and behavioural change as drivers of long-term water security.

Jal Shakti–ISRO MoU

The Ministry of Jal Shakti and ISRO are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen satellite-based applications and advanced technologies for water resource assessment, monitoring, and management. According to the statement, 24 priority studies and areas of cooperation have already been identified under the proposed agreement.

What Comes Next

The workshop's outcomes — including the research proposals under MAHA on Water and the startup call under BHARAT-WIN — are expected to shape the near-term direction of India's water innovation agenda. With climate-linked water stress intensifying across river basins and urban aquifers, the institutional convergence signalled by Monday's event will be closely watched by the water sector.