Bangalore based startup fills drinking water bottles from air, CEO shares details

Swapnil Srivastav, the CEO and Co-founder of Uravu Labs, provides insights into the science behind their groundbreaking technology of extracting water from air.

Amid the ongoing global water crisis, Uravu Labs, a Bengaluru-based startup, has developed an innovative solution: producing water from the air. In a recent interview, Swapnil Srivastav, CEO and Co-founder of Uravu Labs, revealed insights into the science behind their groundbreaking technology as well as the company’s ambitious future plans.

“Uravu’s core technology extracts water from air using a unique process inspired by desiccant materials,” Srivastav explained. “We use these materials to absorb moisture from the ambient air, which is then heated to release the captured vapour.” This vapour is condensed into pure drinking water using a series of controlled heating and cooling processes.”

Srivastav emphasized Uravu’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices, as sustainability is central to the company’s mission. “We do not use plastic bottles; we only use glass packaging. Our innovative reverse logistics model guarantees that all glass bottles are returned to us for cleaning, refilling, and reuse. “This model is similar to the system used by beverage giants like Coke or Pepsi two decades ago,” he said.

However, because gaining consumer trust remains a critical strategy for survival in a competitive market, Srivastav stated that their marketing efforts will focus on highlighting the product’s affordability, superior taste, and eco-friendliness, reassuring consumers of their decision. “In Bangalore, we have already sold nearly 3.5 lakh bottles over the last eight months. This means that we already have a customer base that has tried and tasted our water and is becoming aware of both the concept and the quality,” he said.

Recognizing the gravity of the global water crisis, Srivastav emphasizes the importance of their technology in addressing this ongoing issue. He acknowledged that water scarcity is a major global concern, exacerbated by factors such as population growth, groundwater depletion, and climate change. According to him, in areas like India, where water demand far outstrips supply, innovative solutions such as Uravu’s technology are critical to ensuring water security.

#Bangalore based #startup #Uravulabs fills drinking water bottles from air, a leap towards sustainability and #watersecurity. pic.twitter.com/cmMcqEfSnq

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Srivastav went on to say that, despite operating in an industry dominated by large corporations, he believes Uravu has the potential to establish itself as a viable alternative. He emphasized that they are not competing with any global giants, but rather use a business-to-business-to-customer model. The CEO went on to explain that in this unique business model, they handle the backend operations of water extraction and packaging while collaborating with distribution networks to get their product to consumers.

“Our valued client, Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, uses their own brand, Aujasya, in their rooms and restaurants. To align with their branding, we label our product Aujasya, with ‘From Air’ as our trademark and ‘Crafted by Uravu’ prominently displayed. This strategy is similar to the approach of well-known brands such as Intel, whose logo appears on a variety of devices regardless of manufacturer. Similarly, our goal is to popularize ‘From Air’ as a symbol of quality and sustainability,” he explained.

The Road Ahead

Looking ahead, Uravu Labs, which currently has only one facility in Bengaluru and 70 employees, has ambitious plans for growth and innovation. Srivastav stated, “There are numerous applications for the technology we use. We are currently working on a hydroponics project in Abu Dhabi, where vertical farms use our water extraction technology for their daily needs.

“We are also looking into applications for data centers. A one-megawatt data center typically requires around 80,000 liters of water per day, whereas larger facilities can consume more than a million liters. Data centers that use our technology could cut their water consumption by up to 90%, reducing pressure on community water sources and groundwater reservoirs,” he explained.

Srivastav added that Uravu’s ultimate goal is to make its air-to-water technology affordable enough to be used for a wide range of drinking water applications in homes and rural settlements. “Water is the most used commodity on earth and it is decreasing rapidly both in physical quantity as well as quality aspects,” he stated.

In terms of affordability, he explained that the current cost structure for bottled water includes a variety of expenses such as water sourcing, packaging, distribution, and equipment costs. Water costs between 20 and 60 paise per liter, depending on purification and source quality. In addition, there are hidden costs throughout the supply chain. However, for Uravu Labs, the cost of producing water is approximately 4 to 5 rupees per liter. This significant difference demonstrates the disparity between traditional water procurement and air-to-water technology,” he added.

Furthermore, Srivastav highlighted the humanitarian costs of water scarcity. He observed that during times of water scarcity, people frequently pay significantly more for water, up to ten times the normal price. However, by investing in stable technology such as air-to-water, even if it appears to be expensive per liter, consumers will be able to avoid these unexpected price increases during water crises.

Srivastav has outlined a roadmap for reducing the cost to an ambitious 50 paise per liter by 2030 in order to address a critical global challenge such as the water crisis in a reliable and sustainable manner.