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 that examined reforms initiated in Gujarat and their subsequent influence on national water initiatives. Modi highlighted that ensuring water security involves more than just physical infrastructure; planning, capable local systems, and community engagement are vital components of effective water management. The article presents India’s journey as a practical example for countries grappling with increasing demand and pressure on water resources.
Tracing water governance over approximately 25 years, the article begins with reforms in Gujarat during Modi’s time as chief minister. It distills four major lessons for developing economies, emphasizing stronger governance, joint management of water resources and services, community ownership, and planning at scale. The framework also incorporates political leadership, public financing, partnerships, and public participation. These concepts are linked to various national programs addressing drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
India’s rural drinking water expansion illustrates the scale of progress achieved through these programs. 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 when the initiative launched in 2019. The focus remains on providing functional household tap connections, with recent phases emphasizing service quality, reliability, and long-term maintenance over infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission Transitions to Service-Oriented Approach
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending its timeline through December 2028. The updated plan allocates a total of ₹8.69 lakh crore, including ₹3.59 lakh crore in central assistance. The government shifted its implementation focus toward delivering reliable, adequate, and safe drinking water to rural households. States and union territories are tasked with preparing integrated reform strategies that encompass implementation, financing, and monitoring. The new structure emphasizes operating systems after infrastructure is built and ensuring the sustainability of services over time.
A key feature of the revised framework is Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform for mapping rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village receives a unique service-area identity under this system, designed to improve planning, asset management, and accountability across water schemes. Community institutions remain integral to the operational model, with village-level bodies and local governments managing systems, overseeing services, and supporting maintenance within the broader rural water program.
Community Involvement Central to Water Governance
The article shared by Modi advocates for integrated management of water resources and water services. Infrastructure planning must consider the long-term availability of water feeding these systems. Additionally, local participation, including institutions capable of overseeing village-level water services, is emphasized. The current national reforms reflect this approach by linking service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements form the core of India’s current water-governance strategy for other developing nations.
India’s model does not rely on a single program. It integrates rural tap-water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river-cleaning efforts. The article presents this combination as a set of lessons rather than a one-size-fits-all solution for other countries. Modi’s remarks on October 6 reaffirmed that water security depends on institutions and communities alongside infrastructure. India’s ongoing reforms continue to pursue this integrated approach, pairing substantial public investment with local management, digital oversight, and service standards.