NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s water-management experience as a model for countries in the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article examining reforms developed in Gujarat that later influenced national water initiatives. Modi stressed that water security involves more than infrastructure alone, highlighting planning, capable local systems, and community engagement as vital components of effective water management. The article portrays India’s approach as a practical example for nations facing increasing water demand and pressure on supplies.
Tracing nearly 25 years of water-governance reforms, the article begins with Gujarat’s initiatives during Modi’s time as chief minister. It distills four key lessons for developing economies: enhanced governance, joint management of water resources and services, community ownership, and planning at scale. The framework integrates political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and public participation. These ideas are linked to India’s national programs covering drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
India’s rural drinking-water expansion exemplifies the scale of these efforts. According to Jal Jeevan Mission data, about 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, compared to roughly 3.23 crore when the program launched in 2019. The focus is on providing functional household tap connections, with recent phases emphasizing service quality, reliability, and long-term upkeep over infrastructure creation alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission shifts toward service delivery
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending it through December 2028. The program’s total approved budget is ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore in central aid. Its revised focus prioritizes reliable, sufficient, and safe drinking water for rural households. States and union territories are required to develop integrated reform plans covering implementation, financing, and monitoring. The new structure emphasizes operating systems post-construction and maintaining services over time.
A key element of the updated framework is Sujalam Bharat, a digital system mapping rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village receives a unique service-area identity, enhancing planning, asset management, and accountability. Community institutions, such as village bodies and local governments, remain integral to managing systems, monitoring services, and supporting maintenance within the broader rural water initiative.
Community involvement remains vital in water governance
The article shared by Modi advocates for integrated management of water resources and services. Infrastructure planning should consider the sustainability of water sources, and local participation, including village-level institutions, is crucial for overseeing water services. This approach underpins current national reforms, linking service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements form the core of India’s current water-governance strategy aimed at other developing nations.
India’s model combines rural water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river cleaning efforts. The article presents this integrated approach as a series of lessons rather than a one-size-fits-all blueprint. Modi’s October 6 remarks reinforce that water security hinges on institutions and communities as well as infrastructure. India’s recent reforms continue this trajectory by blending significant public investment with local management, digital oversight, and service quality standards.