Turning Air into Water: How Akvosphere is Building Rooftop Water Solutions for the Future

 

At Impact[X] Media, we shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs who turn bold ideas into purpose-driven innovations. One such visionary is Navkaran Singh Bagga, founder of Akvosphere, a trailblazer in atmospheric water generation technology, converting humidity from the air into clean, potable water for urban and corporate environments.

Vision and Environmental Impact

Akvosphere was founded eight years ago with a mission to redefine water sourcing. Navkaran explains, “Our machines are to water what solar panels are to energy.” Unlike traditional water sources reliant on rivers or underground aquifers, Akvosphere taps into a vast, overlooked reservoir—the moisture in the air.

With over 2,000 deployed systems in 16 countries, Akvosphere generates about 300,000 liters of fresh water every day, replacing bottled water deliveries in corporate campuses. This shift reduces not only plastic waste but also the carbon footprint from transportation, bringing their carbon emissions to just 30% that of bottled water. “We deliver indirect but very meaningful impact,” Navkaran emphasizes, framing sustainability by value-chain transformation rather than only product innovation.

Product Innovation and Business Model

Akvosphere’s strength lies in IoT-enabled, highly scalable atmospheric water generation (AWG) systems. “Our products talk to us 24/7; we remotely monitor, predict maintenance needs, and make sure clients reliably get what they pay for,” says Navkaran, highlighting their tech-forward approach.

They serve primarily enterprise customers, avoiding rural or philanthropic deployments. Systems start from 50 liters per day, but commercial contracts typically exceed 500 liters per day. The company transitioned from outright equipment sales to a water-as-a-service, or OPEX, model 18 months ago, allowing customers to pay for actual water consumed rather than capital expenditures.

According to Navkaran, “The beauty of OPEX is flexibility, we provide enough modules to always meet the contracted daily water volume, even when humidity varies.”

Market Focus and Scaling Plans

Akvosphere’s revenue derives 80% from exports, with India representing a growing 20%. Domestically, the OPEX model helps overcome clients’ reluctance to tie up capital, especially large corporates.

“Our mindset changed from being just a product company to becoming a solutions business,” Navkaran shares. “We stopped trying to be everything for everyone and focused on delivering enterprise deployments that work.”

For FY25, Akvosphere’s goal is to grow OPEX water delivery from 15,000 liters daily to an ambitious 100,000 liters per day, scaling across Indian corporates and global clients.

Bootstrapping and Funding Philosophy

Navkaran’s journey reflects a commitment to independent growth. As a second-generation entrepreneur with personal capital, he has repeatedly declined investor funding offers, preferring control and flexibility.

“I’ve seen how fundraises become a never-ending pressure cooker,” he says candidly. “When you take outside money, suddenly you’re more focused on the next round than building sustainably.”

Akvosphere emphasizes positive free cash flow and organic innovation over chasing rapid valuations. Still, Navkaran plans to reward his core team with equity participation as the company matures: “Ownership drives ownership.”

Culture as a Competitive Advantage

Culture underpins Akvosphere’s resilience. Inspired by Ricardo Semler’s Maverick, Navkaran prioritizes empowerment, transparency, and intent in hiring.

“You can teach skills, but you can’t teach intent. I pick intent over skill any day,” he says. Fostering a workplace where challenging ideas and dissent are encouraged, Navkaran believes debate fuels growth: “If everyone agrees with me, I don’t belong in the conversation.”

The recent factory relocation to Chennai was also a culture reset, bringing in a new team aligned to Akvosphere’s values: trust, ownership, and innovation.

Measuring and Monetizing Impact

Akvosphere’s water generation consumes electricity, unlike passive renewables, making full impact accounting essential. “Our carbon footprint depends on grid mix and usage, but we reduce far more emissions by displacing bottled water transport and packaging,” Navkaran explains.

The company is exploring Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies and carbon credit programs. Collaborations with startups like RenewCred offer promising frameworks for verifying impact upstream and downstream in the supply chain.

“Carbon credits aren’t just about the end product; it’s the entire value chain that counts,” Navkaran notes.

The Road Ahead

With robust enterprise traction and an expanding export footprint, Akvosphere is ready to scale. Navkaran highlights the company’s end-to-end model—from R&D to manufacturing to deployment—positioning them for rapid growth.

“We’re turning rooftops into sustainable water sources,” he says. “Our vision is clear: own the asset, deploy the tech, and make water generation cleaner, decentralized, and accessible for large-scale corporate use.”

Akvosphere’s story underscores how a thoughtful blend of technology, culture, and business model innovation can drive meaningful, scalable environmental impact in water-stressed markets.