NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water governance as a model for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article examining reforms implemented in Gujarat that later influenced national water initiatives. Modi highlighted that achieving water security involves more than just physical infrastructure; planning, capable local systems, and community engagement are crucial components of effective water management. The article showcases India’s approach as a practical example for countries confronting increasing demand and mounting pressure on water resources.
Tracing the evolution of water governance over approximately 25 years, the article begins with reforms introduced in Gujarat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister. It outlines four key lessons for developing economies: enhancing governance, managing water resources and services jointly, fostering community ownership, and planning at scale. The framework also emphasizes political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and public participation. These concepts are linked to India’s national programs covering drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
One indicator of the scale achieved by these initiatives is India’s rural drinking water expansion. According to Jal Jeevan Mission data, around 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, compared with about 3.23 crore households at the start of the program in 2019. The focus remains on providing functional household tap connections to rural families, with current efforts emphasizing service quality, reliability, and sustainable maintenance, rather than infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission Moves Toward Service-Oriented Goals
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending its scope through December 2028. The revised program has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated in central assistance. The government has shifted the focus toward ensuring reliable, sufficient, and safe drinking water for rural households. States and union territories are required to develop integrated reform plans covering implementation, funding, and monitoring, with increased attention to operating and maintaining systems beyond construction, ensuring long-term service sustainability.
A new element in this framework is Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform designed to map rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village is assigned a unique service-area identity under this system. Its purpose is to improve planning, asset management, and accountability across water schemes. Community institutions also play a vital role in system operation. Village-level bodies and local governments participate in managing systems, monitoring service quality, and supporting maintenance as part of the broader rural water program.
Community Involvement Remains Key to Water Governance
The article shared by Modi emphasizes that water resources and water services should be managed collectively. Infrastructure planning must consider the long-term availability of water feeding those systems. It also highlights the importance of local participation, including institutions capable of overseeing village-level water services. This approach is reflected in current national reforms, which link 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 countries.
India’s model does not rely on a single program alone. Instead, it combines rural tap-water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation efforts, and river-cleaning initiatives. The article presents this integrated approach as a set of lessons rather than a one-size-fits-all blueprint for other nations. Modi’s October 6 comments reiterated that water security depends on institutions and communities as much as on infrastructure. India’s latest reforms continue to follow this principle by pairing substantial public investment with local management, digital oversight, and service delivery standards.