Veolia Water India: Bringing a 24/7 Water Supply to the People of Karnataka

Patrick Rousseau, Chairman and Managing Director of Veolia Water India (VWI), was impressed by the provocative speech of one of his young employees during the India Urban Space 2007 Summit. More than 150 Indian leaders were looking at a picture of an African country, trying to answer the question “What is the name of this country?” “It is Niger,” the young engineer declared. “One of the poorest, tiniest countries in the world. And yet, Niger enjoys a 24/7 water supply. In India, however, a country said to be the new giant superpower, we are not even able to provide this service.” Now, in 2009, Patrick still feels the shock among the audience on realising the backwardness of water infrastructure in India. He realised that bringing a 24/7 water supply to India would dramatically help the country's economic development and the health, social, and economic situation of the population. In 2005, VWI had been selected as the private partner of a 24/7 demonstration project in Karnataka state. Patrick would like to use the experience of this project to obtain similar contracts in other Indian cities. Patrick is remembering the beginning of the Karnataka project and the difficulties that VWI faced during the last three or four years, especially in dealing with the population's expectations.