NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water governance as a valuable example for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article reviewing reforms initially implemented in Gujarat and later expanded through nationwide initiatives. The article highlighted that dependable water services depend on governance, planning, and local participation alongside physical infrastructure. It also detailed how India combined public investment with community management and institutional reforms. This focus emerges amid many developing nations facing increasing demand, climate pressures, and unequal access to safe water.
The article examines roughly 25 years of water policy evolution and draws several lessons from India’s journey. It underscores the importance of stronger institutions, integrated water resource management, community ownership, and early planning for large-scale delivery. Additionally, it describes a framework centered on political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and public engagement. These principles have been reflected across programs related to drinking water, sanitation, groundwater, and conservation. Narendra Modi stated that the experience demonstrates that lasting water security requires both physical infrastructure and capable local systems.
A significant example of this expansion is India’s rural drinking-water program. Data from Jal Jeevan Mission indicated that about 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections by August 10, 2026. At the start of the program in 2019, approximately 3.23 crore households had such connections. The mission aims to ensure functional household tap connections and reliable drinking-water services throughout rural India. Its latest phase emphasizes service quality, system maintenance, and performance, reflecting a shift from merely counting infrastructure to monitoring ongoing water service functionality.
Jal Jeevan Mission broadens emphasis on dependable water services
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending the program through December 2028. The revised initiative has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, including ₹3.59 lakh crore in central assistance. The government instructed states and union territories to develop reform plans covering implementation, funding, and monitoring. The updated framework prioritizes operations and maintenance after infrastructure construction and links funding to measurable service delivery, enhanced local management, and sustained access to safe drinking water.
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 introduces Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform for rural piped-water infrastructure. This system maps from water sources to household taps and assigns each village a service-area identity. Officials anticipate that the platform will aid in planning, asset management, and accountability. Local governments and village institutions remain central to daily management, with community bodies helping oversee services, report issues, and support maintenance. The approach combines digital oversight with local responsibility, rather than viewing technology as a replacement for community involvement.
Community-led management drives broader water reform efforts
The article shared by Modi advocates for integrated management of water resources and services, linking infrastructure decisions with the long-term water supply availability. It emphasizes that local institutions should be at the heart of service delivery. India’s current water reforms follow this structure through village-level management, digital monitoring, and national funding. The model integrates large-scale public programs with local oversight, connecting drinking-water access to broader initiatives in groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river restoration.
India’s water governance approach does not rely on a single scheme. Instead, it consolidates household tap connections, groundwater management, sanitation, and conservation efforts under a comprehensive policy framework. The article presents these reforms as lessons for other developing countries to consider, not as a one-size-fits-all solution. India’s latest strategies continue to link infrastructure investment with accountability, ongoing maintenance, and community participation. The current program also prioritizes service reliability, making long-term system performance a key indicator of rural water delivery.