Pramesh S Jain
Karnataka is positioning itself as a national leader in AI-driven urban water governance,with artificial intelligence and digital technologies set to play a central role in managing future challenges such as climate change,rapid urbanisation,groundwater depletion,and infrastructure stress,Chief Secretary Dr.Shalini Rajneesh said on Tuesday.
She was speaking at the inaugural session of the National AI & Digital Water Summit 2026,organised by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in association with elets and KPMG at Bengaluru.
Highlighting the growing pressure on cities like Bengaluru,Mysuru,Mangaluru,Dharwad,and Belagavi,Dr. Shalini Rajneesh said intelligent governance systems are becoming essential for ensuring efficient,transparent, and accountable public services.
“AI and digital intelligence are no longer optional tools for urban utilities.
Real-time monitoring, predictive analytics,demand forecasting,and data-driven governance will define the future of water management,”she said.
She noted that Karnataka has already established AI Centres of Excellence and introduced policy frameworks supporting digital procurement, data sharing,and performance-based governance systems.
The Chief Secretary stressed that accountability must remain at the core of digital transformation.“Data should ultimately lead to measurable governance outcomes. Technology must strengthen public trust and institutional efficiency,”she added.
Speaking at the summit,BWSSB Chairman,Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar said Bengaluru’s scale and complexity demand a shift from conventional utility operations to predictive and intelligent management systems.
“BWSSB today serves more than 14 million citizens. Managing water for one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolitan cities requires deep operational intelligence and technology-led governance,”he said.
He highlighted that BWSSB has already implemented city-scale SCADA systems, GIS-based mapping, IoT-enabled monitoring, automated leak detection systems,and smart metering pilots as part of its digital transformation journey.
According to him,BWSSB has reduced Non-Revenue Water from over 50 percent to nearly 26.5 percent, resulting in savings of nearly 200 million litres of water per day.
Dr.Ram Prasath Manohar also revealed that BWSSB’s AI-driven energy optimisation initiatives have identified nearly Rs.42 crore worth of avoidable annual electricity expenditure across pumping systems.
“AI is not about dashboards.It is about predictive governance,accountability,and measurable outcomes. We are moving from reactive operations towards intelligent utility management,”he said.
He added that BWSSB aims to achieve city-wide smart metering,further reduce Non-Revenue Water,and emerge as a national benchmark for intelligent urban utilities over the next five years.
The event was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government Tushar Girinath,FKCCI President Uma Reddy,Founder and CEO of Elets Technomedia Ravi Gupta,and KPMG Partner & Head of Government and Public Services (G&PS) Nilachal Mishra,and witnessed participation from global water experts,AI specialists,policymakers,technology companies,startups,and urban governance professionals from across India and abroad.
“Karnataka stands at the intersection of rapid industrial growth and increasing water stress.AI-driven governance and intelligent water systems are critical for ensuring sustainable and equitable urban growth.”
D.K.Shivakumar,Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka.
