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IIT-Madras alumni gives Rs 5 crore funding for AquaMAP Centre to advance water management solutions

IIT Madras receives ₹5 crore from alumnus Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian for AquaMAP, a centre focused on water management and policy. The funding supports long-term initiatives addressing water challenges across India.

Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian, the IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus, with IIT Madras officials at an event on campus, announcing the 5cr funding to the institute.

IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian with IIT Madras officials during an event on campus (Photo credit: IIT Madras)

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has received a funding of ₹5 crore from its distinguished alumnus, Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian, for AquaMAP, a centre for water management and policy. The funding will be used to establish a corpus fund to support the centre’s long-term initiatives in water management solutions.

The centre was established in 2022 at IIT Madras as an interdisciplinary centre focusing on water management and policy. AquaMAP functions with support from the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. The centre was launched with an initial seed grant from Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian, CEO of Theme Work Analytics, and Krishnan Narayanan, President of Itihaasa Research and Digital. The primary objective of the centre has been to develop data-driven strategies and policy recommendations to address water-related challenges across India.

What makes the funding so significant?

AquaMAP collaborates with faculty members from multiple departments at IIT Madras to address water management challenges. The centre has been involved in various projects across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, working on wastewater management and water security. It has also partnered with industry leaders such as IBM and Amadeus Software to implement solutions at scale.

Dr Balasubramanian, himself a graduate of IIT Madras with degrees in Engineering and Management, is also a founding member of the governing board of AquaMAP. He later earned a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Operations Research in 1977.

Commenting on the funding, he stated that AquaMAP has demonstrated strong performance over the past three years and now seeks to take on projects with a national impact. He emphasised the importance of water security and resilience and highlighted how the Endowment Fund would help sustain the centre’s efforts in the long run.

What are some of the key initiatives under AquaMAP?

Since its start, the Centre has achieved great achievements in communities across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, implementing over a dozen water and wastewater management projects, according to a statement from IIT Madras.

Rural wastewater management in Karnataka

AquaMAP implemented a rural wastewater management project in Muthur village, Mallur Panchayat, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka, using Nature-Based Solutions. This project has served as a model for the Government of Karnataka, which is now exploring ways to expand it to nearly 500 Gram Panchayats.

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Water quality assurance in Odisha

In Odisha, AquaMAP has been working with the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) to enhance water quality assurance, implement safety plans, and improve data management as part of the state’s 24×7 ‘Drink from Tap’ initiative.