(Eds: Disclaimer: The following content is a press release. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) WaterScience is India’s leading non-drinking water filtration company. Filtered water is the norm for drinking and cooking, but protection for hair and skin has been largely ignored. WaterScience develops Shower Filters, Tap Filters, washing machine filters, kitchen tap filters and filters for the whole house. What big problem is the company solving WaterScience is solving the problem of water quality and water availability. Typically when water availability becomes an issue, water quality is compromised. WaterScience products improve the water quality for non-drinking purposes. WaterScience also develops water saving shower filters that save up to 70% water. The business rationale behind launching WaterScience With time, water quality and availability are declining. NITI Aayog reports state that 21 cities may be running out of groundwater soon. When water availability is a challenge, the quality also becomes severely compromised. Increased urban migration, increasing population and reducing water sources, only means that this problem will be more serious in the future. Therefore we decided to develop products that help tackle the problems of water quality and scarcity. Growth Story What started in a factory shed in 2014 with one product concept, has now evolved into India’s leading Shower Filter manufacturer with operations in UK, UAE and US. When their first product received good traction they built the Universal Shower and Tap Filter based on customer feedback. With the addition of new products over the years, they now service 15000 orders per month. They have served around 400,000 customers so far. The beginning The idea of WaterScience came to Mohammad Iqbal and Sudeep Nadukkandy when they were looking for options to combat their hair fall problems due to hard water in Bangalore. When they realised none of the options provide an easy solution, they decided to build one themselves. Further research revealed that this was a market with great potential, as with increasing migration to urban centres, the water quality was declining. The need for these products would only go up in the future. Their co-founder Pavithra Rao joined them on this journey to scale WaterScience into a truly global organisation. Market Potential /Future Plans: India With increasing urbanization our already scarce water resources are strained further. When water availability becomes an issue, water quality gets severely compromised. Therefore the need for products that help improve water quality increases. Like how a drinking water filter is a standard feature of every urban home, in a few years, non-drinking filters will become a standard feature. Around 4 crore households use a drinking water filter which reflects the water quality and affordability. All these households will also be using a Shower/Tap Filter, kitchen tap filters in the next few years as the water quality continues to decline. International Operations Decline in water quality is an issue all over the world. With the experience gained in the Indian market over the last few years, WaterScience is establishing operations in UAE, UK, and the US. Given the reliance on treated water and groundwater becoming harder with increasing strain, WaterScience products are set to make a difference all over the world. Funding details (Is the company bootstrapped) The initial investment is bootstrapped and from 2017 the company has been profitable and running on its own revenue What differentiates WS from its competitors WaterScience is the first and only company now in India focusing on non-drinking water filtration space. The products are Made in India and made for the Indian water conditions.Being the only player in the market for a few years has given us a better market and customer understanding that is invaluable. We also have a range of products right from a simple sediment filter for the kitchen tap, to a system for the whole house. Most competitors have just one or two Shower Filters in their portfolio. These are products developed for Western markets and are imported to India. Competition is present in e-commerce space only and WaterScience is present across Supermarkets, hardware outlets and bathfittings showrooms. Our plan is to expand to 3000 outlets by the end of financial year. Water and Sustainability : CLEO Multi Flow Shower Filter While they were developing products to improve water quality, the team realized that water scarcity was a pressing problem in cities. Water was getting scarce, and as a consequence more expensive. The CLEO Multi Flow Shower Filter was developed to combat the rising water scarcity problem. The Shower Filter not only filters chlorine and hardness but also saves up to 70% water. If even 1% of Bangalore citizens moved to this water-saving Shower Filter, it would save 1 billion litres of water per year. Bring home a Spa- AromaTherapy Shower Filter CLEO The AromaTherapy Shower Filter is the latest product innovation that brings the luxury and indulgence of a spa to your bathroom. This Shower Filter makes your water clean and healthy, and infuses your Shower water with natural essential oils. With 5 different fragrances to choose from, this product is a must have for those who are missing their regular spa session. Retrofit Filter: CLEO Shower and Tap Filter Universal Shower and Tap Filter can fit right into your existing Shower, Tap or handshower. It is easy to fit, with no changes in plumbing required. The 4 layer filter removes chlorine, hardness, sediments and bad smell from your water. This has been the best selling product of WaterScience, as it is the most versatile of the range of Shower Filters About Mohammad Iqbal Mohammed Iqbal is a serial entrepreneur and has experience setting up telecom, real-estate and retail businesses and serves as Member of Board of Advisors for Kayote Networks, Inc. Mr. Iqbal is based in Dubai, and develops the market for GCC countries with his significant expertise and understanding of the GCC markets. About Sudeep Sudeep Nadukkandy is the Co-Founder and CEO. Sudeep designed the first product, the CLEO Shower Filter, to reduce chlorine and the effects of hard-water after personally struggling with adverse effects of poor quality water. He has a technical background, serving as a technical specialist with ITC Infotech-Clientlogic, then as an early employee with Printo who ascended to Corporate Sales and Marketing Head, responsible for B2B sales, marketing, new product development and strategic partnerships. He has a Bachelors degree in commerce and enjoys playing football and badminton. About Pavithra Pavithra is a graduate from BITS Pilani and a postgraduate from IIM-Ahmedabad. She has experience working in marketing and sales roles in Consumer goods, with Philips Lighting and a stint as a Brand Manager for a chocolate brand. She manages Growth and Revenue for WaterScience. PWR PWR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)