Air to drinking water: Israeli firm Watergen to bring tech to India in JV with Jaipuria Group

Israel-based Watergen is bringing its products, which it claims can convert the air around into potable water, to the Indian market and has announced a joint venture with Delhi’s SMV Jaipuria Group. The company plans to eventually manufacture and export its Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) from India, though it did not provide specifics on when this would be possible.
“It’s a 50-50 joint venture. The idea is to help solve this water problem that our country faces. We will partner with every stakeholder necessary,” Chaitanya Jaipuria, Director, SMV Jaipuria Group, told on the sidelines of the launch. He said that the company had not yet spoken to the government or other institutions about the adoption and spread of these machines.
AWG works on the lines of air conditioners— condensing and cooling the air around to extract moure from them, except that the water produced is ready to drink.
The company showcased several of its products at a press conference in Delhi. The AWG range includes Genny Home, a unit meant for home and offices, the Gen-M1, Gen-M Pro, and Gen-L. The capacities of these water generators range from 30 litres to 6000 litres per day depending on the device. The Genny Home will start at Rs 2.5 lakh and is a plug-n-play unit, which people set up within their homes. Prices for the other products will depend on where the unit is being deployed.
“The power consumption for Genny Home is not more than 500W or 0.5 units. It is less than what your refrigerator uses,” said Maayan Mulla, CEO Watergen India.
Gen-M1, Pro, and L are aimed at bigger institutions, resorts, universities, etc. In the case of Gen-L, the company claims that it can generate 6000 litres of water a day. Watergen states that these devices can work off the grid and can also be attached to an external tank. For now, the Jaipuria Group plans to import these devices into the country.
Watergen’s machines also include a filtration system, including PM2.5 filters, and Ultraviolet and Ultrafiltration membranes to ensure that the final water is drinkable. The company claims its products use food-grade standards and provides added minerals as well. It uses its own patented GENius heat exchanger to extract water out of the air.
But these machines are also dependent on humidity and ambient temperature. The technology does require that the air have some humidity—ideally 30 per cent and above—in order to work optimally. The technology also does not work in very cold environments.
However, Watergen claims its products can work even in 20 per cent humidity. Watergen India CEO Mulla said that the machines have been tested at various locations and climate conditions in India, including places with very less humidity. “The machine works perfectly indoors. We have tested our machines in Rajasthan where the humidity level is very low all around the year. Indoors we don’t have such a problem with humidity,” Mulla added.
Regarding servicing, the company claims it will offer and handle the maintenance of these devices every six months. The filter inside will be replaced every six months and in some locations, it will be replaced more often. Watergen aims to offer this as part of the package should someone buy a machine for their home.
It is not clear how capably the machines would handle intense pollution which is a yearly problem in most of North India, especially in the winter season. The products are available for sale in India and customers can directly contact Watergen to buy the products.