NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water management as an example for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article examining reforms implemented in Gujarat, which later influenced national water schemes. Modi highlighted that water security involves more than just physical infrastructure, pointing to strategic planning, capable local systems, and community involvement as vital components of effective water governance. The article showcases India’s practical approach as a model for countries facing increasing demand and pressure on water resources.
Tracing water-governance reforms over approximately 25 years, the article begins with Gujarat’s initiatives during Modi’s tenure as chief minister. It extracts four key lessons for developing economies: enhanced governance, integrated management of water resources and services, community ownership, and planning at scale. The framework emphasizes political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and citizen participation. These principles are linked to national programs covering drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
India’s rural drinking-water expansion provides a tangible measure of the scale achieved through these national efforts. According to Jal Jeevan Mission data, around 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 program in 2019. The focus remains on providing functional household tap connections, with recent phases emphasizing service quality, reliability, and sustainability over infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission transitions toward prioritizing service delivery
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending its timeline through December 2028. The revised scheme has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated as central assistance. The government has shifted focus to ensuring reliable, sufficient, and safe drinking water for rural households, requiring states and union territories to develop integrated reform plans encompassing implementation, funding, and oversight. Greater attention is now given to operating systems post-construction and maintaining services over the long term.
A key element of the updated framework is Sujalam Bharat, a digital platform for mapping rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village is assigned a unique service-area ID within this system, designed to enhance planning, asset management, and accountability in water schemes. Community institutions remain integral to the operational model, with village bodies and local governments managing systems, monitoring services, and supporting maintenance under the broader rural water initiative.
Community participation remains vital in water governance
The article shared by Modi advocates for a combined approach to managing water resources and services. Infrastructure planning must consider the long-term availability of water, and local participation—including institutions overseeing village-level water services—is crucial. The current national reforms reflect this philosophy, linking service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements form the core of India’s current message on water governance for other developing nations.
India’s strategy does not rely on a single program but combines rural tap-water expansion with groundwater regulation, sanitation, conservation, and river-cleaning efforts. The article presents this integrated approach as a set of lessons rather than a one-size-fits-all blueprint for other countries. Modi’s October 6 comments reiterated that water security depends on strong institutions and community engagement alongside infrastructure. India’s latest reforms continue to follow this direction by pairing significant public investment with local management, digital oversight, and service standards.