NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has showcased India’s experience in water management as a model for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article examining reforms initiated in Gujarat that later influenced national water strategies. Modi emphasized that water security involves more than just physical infrastructure, highlighting the importance of planning, capable local institutions, and community involvement as vital components of effective water management. The article presents India’s journey as a practical example for countries facing increasing demand and mounting pressure on water resources.
Tracing the evolution of water governance over approximately 25 years, the article begins with reforms in Gujarat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister. It identifies four key lessons for developing economies, including enhanced governance, joint management of water resources and services, community ownership, and planning for scale. The approach is built around a framework that emphasizes political leadership, public funding, partnerships, and citizen participation. These principles are linked to national initiatives addressing drinking water, sanitation, groundwater regulation, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
The expansion of rural drinking water access in India offers a tangible measure of the scale achieved by these national efforts. Data from Jal Jeevan Mission indicated that approximately 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, compared to about 3.23 crore households at the start of the mission in 2019. The program focuses on delivering functional household tap connections to rural families, with current phases prioritizing service quality, reliability, and long-term maintenance over infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission Advances Towards Service-Oriented Goals
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending the program through December 2028. The revised initiative has a total approved expenditure of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated as central assistance. The government shifted its focus to ensuring 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 the importance of operating systems after infrastructure is built and maintaining services over time.
A key component of the revised framework is Sujalam Bharat, a nationwide digital platform designed to map rural piped-water networks from source to household tap, assigning each village a unique service-area identity. This system aims to enhance planning, asset management, and accountability across drinking-water schemes. Community institutions continue to be integral to the operational model, with village bodies and local governments involved in managing systems, monitoring services, and supporting maintenance within the broader rural water program.
Community Involvement Remains Central to Water Governance
The article shared by Modi advocates that water resources and services should be managed in an integrated manner. Infrastructure planning must consider the long-term availability of water feeding these systems, and local participation, including institutions overseeing village-level water services, is essential. This approach is reflected in current reforms that connect service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements are fundamental to India’s current message on water governance directed at other developing nations.
India’s model is not dependent on a single program. It combines rural tap-water expansion with groundwater regulation, sanitation, conservation efforts, and river-cleaning initiatives. The article presents this combination as a set of lessons rather than a single blueprint for other countries. Modi’s remarks on October 6 reiterated that water security relies on strong institutions and active communities alongside infrastructure. India’s latest reforms continue to follow this principle by pairing substantial public investments with local management, digital oversight, and service standards.