RJ Deepika
Chennai, On National Technology Day, that marks India’s progress in the field of science and technology, AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd, introduced the home model of their Atmospheric Water Generator, AKVO Pod.
AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems is a pioneer in producing India’s first indigenously manufactured atmospheric water generator. AKVO provides safe and pure drinking water using the AWG (Atmospheric Water Generator) technology which replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions. AKVO works on a simple plug and play method and consumes one unit of electricity to run for an hour.
AKVO has now become India’s largest AWG manufacturer with over 200 machines sold in India and Gulf countries. Moreover, this water is cheaper than any RO/UV or bottled market water. While the RO/UV filtrated water wastes 4 litres of water for just 1 litre of drinking water, AKVO has zero water wastage. The bottled mineral water which is marketed is available anywhere between INR 4.50 to INR 5.00 per litre and always has the cleanliness suspicion tag attached with it, while ours costs only INR 1.75 to INR 2.00 per litre.
The AKVO Pod has been priced at INR 99, 000 plus GST as applicable and the pre-booking starts from 11th May 2020. Customers can pre-book an AKVO Pod for an initial sum of Rs. 5,000 during the inaugural launch period which will last till July 22nd, 2020. Customers pre-booking an AKVO Pod, have an added advantage of availing a discount of Rs.15,000 on the machine will also be applicable. AKVO Pod will be delivered within 45 days of the booking and comes with a 1-year warranty.
At one hand, when the world is in the grasp of a vicious disease and is grappling for its survival, it is also peak summertime in the country which means acute water scarcity. To help ease the struggle, AKVO has come up with a remarkable solution through AKVO Pod. It is ideal for homes, offices and small businesses. This unit can make up to 50 litres of pure drinking water per day. The AKVO Pod features a superior filter system that delivers clear and healthy drinking water.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd stated, “Although being home to nearly a sixth of the world’s population, India only gets 4% of the Earth’s fresh water. It has been our endeavour to change the dynamics by bringing water supply to the Indian masses at a very cost efficient and sustained manner. 70% of Indians have poor or no access to safe drinking water and 22% of Indians do not have water reaching their homes. With only 60% of water available for consumption by 2030 we are alarmingly marching towards a crisis that will require human intervention right away otherwise we will stare at a third world war and this time over water. We had always received a demand from our patrons for a unit that was suitable for their homes and offices. AKVO Pod is an answer to that requirement. We hope, with this, we can reduce some of our dependency on groundwater and make ourselves future ready.”
Water scarcity reports have become the norm across the globe. Our country is not far behind on the trend. 12 per cent of India’s population is already living the ‘Day Zero’ scenario, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water management system and years of deficient rains.
According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others) are racing to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The Chennai water crisis of last year gave an experience of the seriousness of the issue.
The CWMI report also states that by 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual six per cent loss in the country’s GDP. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that an individual requires around 25 litres of water daily for meeting his/her basic hygiene and food needs. The world and our country need an immediate and long-term solution to the water issues.
While the entire country is under lockdown and manufacturing processes have halted all across, AKVO is ready to bring AKVO Pod in the market. They had been working on building this machine for a year, especially, keeping in the mind the Chennai Water Crisis of 2019 that made global headlines. Chennai has been one of the biggest markets for AKVO in the country with over 50 machines sold.
About: AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd:
AKVO’s Atmospheric Water Generators are created to tackle water problems and provide safe and pure drinking water using the air-to-water technology which replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions. The endeavour of AKVO is to combat water issues experienced worldwide by providing environmentally conscious water options to homes, businesses, industries, defence forces and in an emergency as a complete disaster relief solution. AKVO is founded by Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, a second-generation entrepreneur from Kolkata in India. Visit us at www.akvosphere.com/ Call us on 1-800-313-8582.
Water is a big crisis in today’s world. It doesn’t matter where you live or how lavishly you live; you are going to face the brunt of the water crisis now or at some point in the future.
The problem remains acute in India and the crisis is only growing. Despite relying on a variety of water resources like rivers, above ground storage structures and groundwater, we are still not able to provide sufficient water to the people of this country to meet their daily requirements. Continue reading “Eco-Intelligent.com”
What if you could grow water, like plants? It would be available whenever you wanted it, you would know exactly where it came from, and it could possibly confirm the existence of magic in this world. Well, you can do all those things… kind of. Atmospheric water generators may not sound revolutionary or magical, but they do make water out of thin air.
How exactly do these devices work? These machines run on electricity. They suck in moisture from the in the air, the coils inside it condense the moisture to make water droplets, and after a filtration process — voila, you have fresh and clean water at your disposal.
There’s also Akvo, an air-to-water generator company based in Kolkata. Its founder Navkaran Singh Bagga says their vision was to increase water sustainability. “These machines give you a completely independent source of water that doesn’t require any other forms of distribution,” he says.
Additionally, these machines perform best when it is hot and humid. Bagga says, “It runs at its optimum level when the weather is above 30 degrees and the humidity is at around 85-90%. It’s like solar power in that sense — it works best in places with more sunlight.”
Another possible concern could be about pollutants. If our air is polluted, and the water is made from it, would that mean that the water is polluted as well? Well, these companies claim to have inbuilt filtration systems.
Atmospheric water generators suck in water vapour from the air. Their coils condense it into droplets. These droplets collect in a tray, where the water is collected, cleaned, purified, and then dispensed.
They range in sizes from 25L, for household use, to a 5,000L machine for schools, institutions etc.
Positive: With these air-to-water machines, you don’t have to rely on any external authority for your water. Negative: However, they need a certain degree of heat and moisture to be effective — they don’t work in areas where the moisture is under 20%
Excerpts from TOI
Akvo’s products are designed for deployment in coastal and hilly areas with 30-80% humidity factor Continue reading “Financial Express”
Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems has been working since 2016 to design and manufacture a product which would utilize the moisture in the air and condense it to produce fresh drinking water.
With an initial investment of Rs 5 crore, bootstrapped to the founding team, it manufactures its products in West Bengal and has been selling them in the market since May 2018.
The equipment has a refrigeration system and heat exchangers which help achieve right temperatures to form condensate when air is sucked and brought into the system.
The condensate is then collected and dispensed for use, explains Navkaran Singh Bagga, founder and CEO of the company.
The products are designed to run at temperatures ranging from 10-degree Celsius to 60-degree Celsius with humidity factor of 30-80%, making it a viable model to deploy in coastal and hilly areas, especially in tropical countries that are rich in atmospheric moisture content.
The machines are rated for different run times and generation capacities. For example, one model can run for 24 hours and produce 100 liters in ideal condition.
It draws 250Wh of energy per liter of water generated which also reduces the stress on the grid when runs on power generated from localized renewable sources.
One of the early adopters of this product is Indian Oil refinery in Haldia, near Kolkata. The product has helped decentralize water availability on a massive 300-acre area, enabling workers to access drinking water at six locations.
The Madhya Pradesh government has also taken a 1000-litre system to supply water to Hardua Mangarh village in Damoh district.
The company is also expanding to West Asia. Gulf region will be his major focus in the next couple of years.
Currently, the company has a revenue of around Rs 1.5 crore but with an expanding distribution network and new markets in the Gulf, it expects to hit its target of Rs 12 crore in the coming financial year.
Discover the full story behind Akvo’s innovative journey and its groundbreaking technology here.
Navkaran Singh Bagga is the founder of AKVO, a company which provides safe and pure drinking water using the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology. Bagga spoke to BE’s Kuntala Sarkar.
AKVO is the most cost-efficient Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) generating drinking water from thin air.
The topic of water scarcity has always been discussed from marking Day Zero in Cape Town, South Africa 2018 to finding effective ways to transport drinkable water to regions affected by natural disasters. The primary requirement of water is in the equatorial regions during the summers. Continue reading “PR News Wire”
Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO of AKVO Atmospheric Water Sytems Pvt. Ltd. was invited on ET Now’s SME Initiative ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ where he talks about atmospheric water generators as a viable source of renewable water source for the future. He also talks about his vision and way forward. Continue reading “ET Now”