News Byte

This Indian Company Is Turning Air Into Drinking Water

Amid growing global water scarcity, Akvo, an Indian startup, is redefining how we source drinking water—with machines that extract water from air.

Using Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs), Akvo captures moisture from the atmosphere, filters it, and condenses it into clean, potable water—mimicking the natural process of dew formation.

How It Works

Air is first passed through a triple-layer filtration system to remove dust and impurities. It’s then cooled below the dew point, causing moisture to condense into water droplets. These are collected and filtered multiple times to meet drinking water standards—offering a sustainable alternative to groundwater and bottled water.

Built for Versatility

According to Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO of Akvo, the biggest challenge has been optimizing water yield while keeping energy consumption low. Innovations in heat exchange, filtration, and IoT monitoring have made Akvo’s AWGs more efficient and affordable.

While best suited for warm and humid environments, Akvo’s systems are designed to operate even in moderate humidity, making them viable in a wide range of climates.

A Renewable Water Source

Akvo’s AWGs tap into the Earth’s atmosphere—an inexhaustible source holding over 3,100 cubic miles of water vapor. Unlike groundwater depletion or energy-intensive desalination, this approach is low-impact and climate-resilient.

“Atmospheric water generation offers a renewable, decentralized solution for communities facing droughts and water pollution,” says Bagga.

 Akvo Water from Air Pilot Program – Damoh, MP

Hardua Mangarh, a small village in Damoh faces drought on a regular basis and coupled with depleting ground water available, the local Government has been fighting water crisis for the past few years. With no source of water, providing safe drinking water to the local population has become a challenge. 

On August 2018, the local government sought Akvo’s Air to water technology to test its water from air machines in a pilot program to meet the drinking water demands. Akvo in coordination with the local authorities installed its Akvo 365K machine, a 1000 Liter of water from air per day machine thus ensuring continuous supply of uninterrupted safe drinking water for local population of Hardua Mangarh.

After the completion of the pilot program more Akvo Atmospheric water generators will be installed in strategic locations to fulfil the drinking water demand.