Orbia Advance Corporation’s precision agriculture business, Netafim, has partnered with Amazon India to implement two major water stewardship initiatives aimed at improving irrigation efficiency and conserving water in key agricultural regions. The projects are expected to save a combined 325 million litres of water annually across farming areas near Bengaluru and Hyderabad in India.
In the western agricultural belt of Bengaluru, the initiative will convert traditional flood irrigation systems to advanced drip irrigation across approximately 80 hectares of gourd and tomato farms, benefiting around 70 independent farmers. A similar project will be implemented in northern Hyderabad, where about 40 hectares of maize and vegetable farms will transition to drip irrigation, supporting approximately 40 farmers.
These projects aim to significantly improve irrigation efficiency by delivering water directly to plant roots in controlled quantities. Unlike conventional flood irrigation, drip irrigation reduces water loss through evaporation, runoff, and overuse. As a result, farmers can maintain or even improve crop productivity while using far less water.
The initiative also supports Amazon’s broader sustainability target of becoming water positive in India by 2027, meaning the company aims to return more water to communities than it consumes through its direct operations.
Water scarcity has become an increasing concern in both the Bengaluru and Hyderabad regions, as well as across the wider states of Karnataka and Telangana. By helping farmers adopt more efficient irrigation technologies, the project is expected to reduce pressure on local water sources while strengthening agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods.
Farmers participating in the Bengaluru project currently rely on water sources connected to the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, which supplies water to several western and northern parts of the city, including residential areas, commercial zones, and Amazon facilities. In Hyderabad, farmers draw water from sources linked to the Kondapochamma Sagar Reservoir, an important balancing reservoir within the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
According to Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations for Amazon India and Australia, the project focuses on practical solutions that deliver measurable benefits. He noted that improving irrigation efficiency not only helps farmers manage water more effectively but also contributes to long-term water security in regions experiencing increasing water stress.
Max Moldavsky, Director of Innovation and Climate Solutions at Orbia Netafim, said the partnership demonstrates how precision irrigation technologies can create tangible benefits for both farming communities and the environment. By helping farmers transition to drip irrigation, the initiative improves water efficiency, supports agricultural productivity, and contributes to broader climate resilience efforts.
This project marks the first collaboration between Amazon India and Orbia Netafim aimed at addressing water challenges in India’s rapidly growing urban regions.
Water stewardship remains a key part of Netafim’s global sustainability strategy. In India and other regions around the world, the company has been involved in large-scale irrigation modernization projects designed to improve water efficiency, enhance farm productivity, and support climate-resilient agriculture.
Building on earlier initiatives in Karnataka, including the Ramthal Community Irrigation Project, the new collaboration represents a scalable model for tackling water challenges in water-stressed areas through practical partnerships that deliver both environmental and economic benefits.
