NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized India’s water governance experience as a benchmark 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 water security involves more than just infrastructure; planning, capable local systems, and community involvement are critical components of effective water management. The article presents India’s efforts as a practical example for countries facing increasing demand and pressure on water supplies.
Tracing water-governance evolution over roughly 25 years, the article begins with reforms in Gujarat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister. It distills four key lessons for developing economies: strengthening governance, joint management of water resources and services, fostering community ownership, and planning for scalability. The framework centers on political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and public participation. These principles connect to national programs addressing drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
India’s rural drinking-water expansion illustrates the scale of these national programs. According to Jal Jeevan Mission data, approximately 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, compared to about 3.23 crore households when the program launched in 2019. The initiative prioritizes providing functional household tap connections to rural families. Its current phase emphasizes service quality, reliability, and maintenance over infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission Moves Focus to Service Delivery
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending the program through December 2028. The revised initiative has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated as central assistance. The government has shifted implementation 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. The new structure emphasizes the operation and sustainability of systems after installation, beyond construction.
The updated framework introduces Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform that maps rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village receives a unique service-area identity under this system. It aims to enhance planning, asset management, and accountability across water schemes. Community institutions continue to play vital roles, with village bodies and local governments involved in system management, service monitoring, and maintenance support within the broader rural water program.
Community Involvement Remains Key to Water Governance
Modi’s shared article advocates for integrated management of water resources and services. Infrastructure planning should account for the long-term availability of water feeding those systems. The approach also emphasizes local participation, including institutions overseeing village-level water services. This same strategy underpins current national reforms, linking service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements form the core of India’s current water-governance message for other developing nations.
India’s model does not rely solely on one program. It integrates rural tap-water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river-cleaning initiatives. The article presents this combination as a set of lessons rather than a single blueprint for others. Modi’s October 6 remarks reaffirm that water security depends on institutions, communities, and infrastructure alike. India’s latest reforms continue to advance this approach by pairing substantial public investment with local management, digital oversight, and service standards.