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For the session of NXT in Water, panelists namely Dr. Subramanya Kusnur Founder Chairman & CEO, AquaKraft Group, Mr. Shraman Jha CEO, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Dr. Luisa Cortesi Assistant Professor, Erasmus University, The Hague, and Dr. Prasanna Jogdeo Co-Founder of Lemnion Green Solutions were roped in for the NXT Conclave to shed light on emerging trends in water sustainability.
When asked about the key focus areas, Mr. Shraman Jha CEO, Hindustan Unilever Foundation stated, “The concern is not about water in totality at the end of the day. So water cycle, the absolute quantity of water remains constant. It has to be the right kind of water, the right kind of place for the right kind of, of use. I think something which has changed very dramatically and particularly for South, South Asia, is the entire issue around ground water.”
He added, “Google, as it would be in, Hindi and, maybe in the early days, you extracted only so much out of it because it’s not easy to extract. But with the advent of technology, power, electricity. So it, it’s almost like a free resource and you pump it out till some day the realization hits like, you see your credit card bill, you can buy what you want, but today or tomorrow it’ll hit you, and you can pump it out much faster than you can, recharge it. I think that’s one, very critical dimension. And I think the other dimension I’d like to draw attention on very quickly is of late last 4 or 5 years, lots of conversation around, climate change. And, it’s almost as if that’s a separate subject and not connected with water. But the fact that there are two sides, I think gets captured beautifully in all the Indian languages, including Hindi, where climate change straightaway translates to jal viu parivar.”
When Dr. Subramanya Kusnur Founder Chairman & CEO, AquaKraft asked Dr. Luisa Cortesi Assistant Professor, Erasmus University, The Hague, “What do you think, is the role that academics can play in terms of, contributing towards the emerging trends of water sustainability?
To this, she said, “It’s interesting because several years ago, I’ve been in India for 25 years. It it felt sometimes that India was scared of academicians that was scared. So to of receiving criticism. And I think your question instead is a symptom of the fact that now India as the strength to engage academicians at a different level. So but let me be clear here, not to make any mistake, you know, a lot of the people of the eminent speaker on this stage, they were I’ve been proposing their ideas. Sometimes the product, they’re selling their products in a way right. If we are talking about the future of AI, of humanity and the future of water, this isn’t window shopping.”
Luisa Cortesi : ‘Natural resources in the country are not up for grabs’
Luisa Cortesi added, “So it’s a serious topic, which means that water and the country and the natural resources in the country are not up for grabs. Now, what’s interesting about academia is that we have nothing to sell, at least in the Netherlands, where I am a permanent faculty. We cannot. We are prohibited from private earnings, so we cannot sell anything. That doesn’t mean we cannot give and it doesn’t mean that we cannot.”
She also shared, “It only means that we cannot take. So we can give our competence. We cannot become rich ourselves, but we can enrich. And I suggest that there is a lot of wealth there. Of course, there are not all pros. You have to figure out where there is competence. And one way I think to figure it out is to think about who can tell you stuff that are uncomfortable that you don’t want to hear, but they are going to push you in new, right direction. So let me give you, some practical advice here. India is a country with many great doctors, many great engineers, fabulous architects. Somehow I feel that there are some categories of expertise that are not as spread out as they should. An example are historians and ecologists. See the market has no memory. Technology has no memory, market has no memory, means the cash in the pocket is over.”
Speaking at NXT conclave, Luisa Cortesi said, “Two steps that we should do for next. And what doesn’t that one quick question on the, startup incubators, how to nationalize that very quickly. And then, the answers from each of the panelists and we close the panel. So I think in water sector, there have been many startups which are coming up and, with many new technologies, I specifically talk about the nature based solutions and related technologies.”
Shraman Jha CEO: Raising The Consciousness And Talk More On Water Is The Next Solution
When asked , “What will be the next and what is sustainability?” She added, “First, raising the consciousness, raising the debate, raising the kind of questions that have just just got raised because there is no perfect solution. Everything has things. But first, let’s talk a lot more about water than we have talked about it.”
About NXT Conclave:
As nations navigate complex economic landscapes, rapid technological advancements, and the urgency of sustainability, NXT Conclave 2025 served as a catalyst for action. Designed to accelerate innovation, influence global policymaking, and foster strategic collaborations, NXT will play a defining role in shaping the future of industries, economies, and societies.
More than just a summit, NXT drove tangible action. Attendees witnessed the game-changing product debuts, pioneering research presentations, and policy frameworks set to influence industries and governments worldwide. Live demonstrations of next-generation AI, quantum computing, and transformative technologies offered a glimpse into the future.
With exclusive leadership roundtables, NXT brought together the brightest minds to forge partnerships that drive sustainable growth, technological advancement, and geopolitical stability.
The inaugural NXT Conclave 2025 brought together some of the most influential global leaders, with Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest, reaffirming India’s leadership in global governance and innovation.
