On Monday 7 July, Partners for Water hosted the India Water Platform Meeting in The Hague. The well-attended session brought together professionals from across the Dutch water sector to discuss the latest developments in Dutch-Indian water cooperation and to explore upcoming opportunities for collaboration.

Key highlights

The meeting was opened by H.E. Mrs Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India. She shared valuable insights into the evolving partnership between the Netherlands and India, with a focus on the Strategic Partnership on Water. Two major new initiatives were announced:

• The upcoming launch of the International Centre of Excellence on Water, in collaboration with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD). This initiative will open new doors for Dutch and Indian water organisations alike.
• Dutch involvement in the Coalition for Disaster and Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), including the development of a capacity-building programme on urban water resilience, that will become publicly accessible later this year.

Two ongoing initiatives were also presented, offering practical insights into current bilateral cooperation efforts. Mr. Jasper Leuven of the Dutch engineering consulting firm Haskoning explained about improving flood resilience in the Sundarbans.

Ms. Esmee van de Ridder (RVO – Netherlands Enterprise Agency) and Mr. Hans Gehrels (Deltares) gave a presentation about the Water as Leverage initiative for Resilient Cities in India. And last but not least, Mr. Leon Weisscher explained about Invest International and its work in India.

Upcoming activities

Participants were informed about several opportunities to stay engaged:

• A Dutch sector visit to IFAT India trade fair, taking place in Mumbai from 14–16 October 2025.
  If you are interested to visit IFAT, please contact Ms. Mirjam van Buchem for more information and registration.
• A delegation programme around the opening of the Centre of Excellence on Water, in New Delhi, planned for 17 October 2025 (date to be confirmed), aimed especially at water technology companies.
  Water technology companies can contact Mr. Steven van Rossum directly in order to express an interest and participate in a visit during the planned opening of the Centre of Excellence.

Download the presentations

The presentations shared during the meeting are now available for download:
📥 Download the presentations

Want to stay involved?

Partners for Water regularly organises platform meetings and matchmaking opportunities focused on priority countries and themes. Interested in joining future events or connecting with the India water platform? Visit our events page.

Furthermore, the Delta team in India is working on developing the Centre Of Excellence on Water. More information about this can be obtained from Mr. Sander Carpaij (Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management), Ms. Fernanda van der Velde (RVO – Netherlands Enterprise Agency), and Ms. Nishi Pant (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion and agricultural runoff are all contributing to deteriorating water quality around the world. According to a recent report from the European Commission, global urbanisation is the leading factor in landscape changes that are responsible for declining water quality. Rivers and lakes that once provided clean water are now at-risk due to unchecked pollutants entering water systems.

Traditional testing methods rely on periodic manual sampling, which lead to delays in detecting contamination. By the time pollution is identified, it has often already spread, making it difficult to trace its source and to take timely action. However, Planys Technologies (Planys), a company specialising in underwater inspection and monitoring solutions, is set to change that. Through the Partners for Water (PfW) subsidy scheme, Planys is pioneering real-time water quality monitoring, providing authorities with instant data, allowing them to swiftly detect, track and respond to pollution at its source.

Innovative pollution detection: real-time monitoring for cleaner water

At the heart of this innovation is a network of sensors that measure critical indicators such as nitrate levels, chlorine, pH, oxygen content and biochemical and chemical oxygen demand. These sensors transmit data instantly to a cloud-based dashboard, enabling real-time alerts when contamination levels exceed safe thresholds.

This simple, yet ground-breaking solution helps authorities to detect contamination in real time, significantly reducing response time and preventing pollutants from spreading unnoticed. Unlike many existing sensors, which are costly and often come with proprietary software that limits data accessibility, Planys is addressing these constraints by developing a fully integrated, end-to-end solution that is both affordable and scalable.
The system includes:

• Fixed in-situ sensors – Strategically placed in rivers and lakes for continuous water monitoring.
• Solar-powered systems – Providing reliable operations even in remote areas.
• Cloud-based dashboards – Delivering real-time alerts and visual data for swift decision-making.
• Customisable deployment – Adapting installations to meet location-specific challenges.

As Tanuj, the founder of Planys, says: “The biggest challenge is not just developing the technology, but ensuring its seamless deployment—making it accessible, affordable and effective for long-term monitoring.”

Selecting the right location

One of the biggest challenges in implementing such a system is not the technology itself, but rather its deployment and integration. The pilot project in India, will test the system at five carefully selected sites, chosen for both their pollution risks and potential for future scaling-up the technology. “Together with our counterparts we are selecting stakeholders who are serious about long-term adoption,” Tanuj explains.

The selection process takes into account a range of water bodies, including major rivers like the Yamuna and Ganga, which are undergoing extensive clean-up efforts. Additionally, smaller industrial zones and municipal water systems are also included to examine the technology’s adaptability across different contexts. Planys ensures that the solution is tested under a range of conditions, making it more robust and scalable. “The first five sites are critical,” says Tanuj, “as they will serve as a model for future deployments and demonstrate real-world impact.”

A three-way partnership for impact

Planys is leading the initiative in collaboration with:

• Planys BV (Netherlands): A subsidiary of Planys Technologies, specialising in marine robotics and underwater inspection for infrastructure owners in ports, municipalities and industrial plants.
• Varya Tech (India): An experienced player in marine, oil & gas and metallurgical industries, providing sensor deployment, logistics and quality assurance.
• Planys Technologies (India): A leader in marine robotics, holding 25+ patents and developing customised solutions for complex underwater inspections.

This collaboration combines technological innovation, field expertise and operational capabilities, enabling an effective and scalable solution adaptable to diverse environmental conditions.

Looking ahead: deployment and future scaling

The project is currently in the design and procurement phase, with sensor production underway. Over the next 3-4 months, the team will finalise the site selection and prepare for installation. By Q3 2025, the sensors will be fully deployed, followed by a 2-3 month testing and optimisation phase to ensure the system functions effectively in real-world conditions.The entire system is expected to be ready (including problem corrections) by Q4 2025.

However, implementing technology alone is not enough – making sure that authorities can act on the data is equally as important. To make real-time monitoring truly effective, Planys is working closely with local stakeholders to train users, integrate the data into existing regulatory frameworks and provide decision-making support. This ensures that when contamination is detected, authorities have the knowledge, tools and protocols in place to take immediate action, prevent further pollution and improve long-term water management strategies.

“By providing authorities with real-time, reliable data and the ability to act on it, we empower them to enforce regulations more effectively and ultimately improve water quality for millions of people,” says Tanuj. If successful, this initiative could serve as a model for other countries facing similar water quality challenges, paving the way for smarter, faster and more effective water management worldwide.

Innovation in progress series

As part of the Partners for Water 2022 – 2027 programme, several projects that received a Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will share their transformative journey providing insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and LinkedIn page!