Davos 2025: India sought to send a strong message to the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos: it is leading the global charge in water and sanitation initiatives, with the execution of the world’s largest river interlinking programme, a drinking water supply programme, and rural sanitation programme.
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, commonly known as the Davos Summit, is a premier gathering of global leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society.
Addressing the global audience, CR Patil, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, highlighted the country’s achievements in ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation for its citizens while advancing environmental sustainability.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said, India has made unprecedented progress in providing clean drinking water to rural households. According to the ministry, delivering safe drinking water through taps to over 15 crore (150 million) rural households, with the goal of reaching 19.3 crore (193 million) households, is one of the key milestones the initiative has achieved.
The minister also highlighted that waterborne diseases have reduced significantly, with a robust network of 2,160 water testing laboratories established nationwide. The mission also claims to have empowered 25 lakh women to monitor water quality using field-testing kits.
"Over the past 10 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has achieved unimaginable progress in achieving the goal of sanitation and water for all, which has brought dignity, saved lives and increase productivity of crores of individuals, specially the women," Patil said.
A short documentary film, titled 'The Water Story Of India', was shown at the Davos Summit.
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Rural Sanitation And River Rejuvenation
Minister Patil said India’s Swachh Bharat Mission has emerged as the largest rural sanitation programme globally, transforming millions of lives. Over the past decade, 120 million toilets have been constructed under the initiative to ensure access to sanitation for the rural population. Efforts were also made to bring about widespread behavioural change, promoting "dignity, improved health, and enhanced productivity to millions".
Under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which is the world’s largest river rejuvenation initiative, India has revived riverbank ecosystems through extensive afforestation, and improved water quality and restored aquatic life, setting benchmarks for environmental sustainability, according to the Jal Shakti ministry.
At the summit, Patil emphasised India’s "unwavering commitment" to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation. The ministry said the presentation was well received by the international audience.