Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment in India Trends and Forecast

The future of the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India looks promising with opportunities in the municipal and industrial markets. The global secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 4.5% from 2025 to 2031. The secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India is also forecasted to witness strong growth over the forecast period. The major drivers for this market are the growing need for wastewater treatment facilities, stricter laws, and technical integration in the form of novel secondary treatment techniques, such as integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) and moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR).

• Lucintel forecasts that, within the equipment category, the activated sludge segment is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to its ability to remove harmful bacteria, thereby lowering health risks for people and the surrounding environment that may come into contact with the material.
• Within the application category, the municipal segment will remain the largest due to rapid urbanization, most notably in emerging economies, coupled with fast housing and infrastructural development.

Emerging Trends in the Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India

Urbanization, industrialization, and growing environmental awareness are causing rapid growth in India‘s secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market. With a growing demand for clean water and proper management of wastewater, the need for more efficient and sustainable treatment technologies is critical. Regulatory pressures and commitment to improving water quality support this trend. Emerging trends of India are marking a change to come under safe and clean waters, as well as promoting resource recovery.

• Adopt Advanced Membrane Technologies: In recent times, advanced membrane technologies for RO and ultrafiltration membranes have gained major acceptance in the country. Technologies offering high performance efficiency and also excellent quality treatment water are well received in both municipal and industrial applications of treating water effectively for better contamination removal and, most importantly, to meet the stricter requirements in regulatory matters. Increasing water shortages will continue creating greater demand across Indian states that provide cleaner quality of water used both for recycling and for potable ends.
• Water Re-use and Resource Recovery Focus: Water reuse and resource recovery are the emerging trends in the wastewater treatment market in India. Critical to their approach, because of water scarcity, industries and municipalities are adopting technologies to recycle and reuse water for non-potable purposes like irrigation and industrial processes. Systems that recover valuable resources like nutrients and energy (biogas) have also gained traction. The trend supports India‘s sustainability goals and reduces pressure on freshwater resources.
• Smart Water Management Systems: India‘s Smart Water Management systems are revolutionizing the treatment of wastewater. With the help of IoT sensors, real-time monitoring, and data analytics, it is possible to optimize the processes for treating water. Real-time insights offer predictive maintenance, leak detection, and energy optimization. The whole system has become cheaper in operation with reduced costs and better performance. This has completely transformed the sector by infusing digital technologies into wastewater management operations.
• Energy-Efficient Treatment Solutions: Today, energy efficiency has become a driving element in India‘s secondary wastewater market. Low-energy membranes, low-energy aeration systems, or biogas recovery systems from the wastewater treatment process have been widely accepted. Being energy-efficient brings down the plant operating costs at Indian wastewater treatment, thus helping fit in with countrywide sustainability agendas. With the reduction of carbon footprints remaining well in the scheme of things by India, efficiency in energy-saving technologies will rule the roost for future considerations of wastewater.
• Regulatory and Policy Support: Stricter environmental regulations and government policies for improving water quality and wastewater management are driving growth in the secondary water and wastewater treatment sector. The Indian government has introduced various initiatives, such as the National Water Policy and the Swachh Bharat Mission, to improve water treatment infrastructure. These policies encourage industries and municipalities to adopt more advanced and sustainable wastewater treatment solutions, creating a favorable environment for the market‘s growth.

These trends are changing the secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market in India, as sustainability is promoted, water quality is enhanced, and new technologies are introduced to address the growing environmental concerns.

Recent Developments in the Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India

India‘s secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market is developing as industrialization increases, urbanization expands, and the government steps up its efforts to improve water quality and ensure efficient management of wastewater. New developments have shown an interest in advanced technologies, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This development has positively contributed to the growth of the sector by overcoming water scarcity and ensuring sustainable water management practices.

• Technological Advancements in Filtration Systems: Wastewater treatment plants across India are starting to utilize MBRs, ultrafiltration, and filtration technologies in more and more setups. This equipment provides for significant efficiency in eliminating contaminants to ensure that high-quality effluent can be produced. The adoption of MBRs and UF has been specifically sought after by industrial users with severe requirements of stringent water quality parameters. Such water treatment techniques would gradually continue their spread as they offer compliance with government regulations while also offering environmental advantages.
• Expansion of Water Reuse Projects: The Indian market for wastewater treatment has a focus on water reuse. Municipal and industrial users have taken up water reuse systems, using treated water for non-potable applications like irrigation, cooling, and industry. Such expansion of these projects, particularly in water-scarce regions, is easing pressure on freshwater resources. This approach toward water reuse will be a key step for India toward the sustainable use of resources and improvement of resource efficiency.
• More widespread use of Smart Water Management: Smart water management systems are increasingly being used in India‘s wastewater treatment sector. The systems utilize IoT sensors and data analytics to optimize treatment processes and improve system performance. Real-time monitoring allows operators to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Smart technologies are increasingly being adopted in urban areas as cities seek more efficient ways of managing their water resources.
• Energy-Efficient Technologies Implementation: Sustainability and energy efficiency are becoming increasingly important to India, leading to the implementation of energy-efficient technologies in wastewater treatment. The low-energy membranes, efficient aeration systems, and biogas recovery systems are used increasingly to minimize energy consumption in treatment plants. Such solutions not only save on the operational costs but also help align with the climate goals of the country. In terms of adoption of energy-efficient technologies, this area will gain impetus with increased importance given to the need to conserve energy, for the sector dealing with water and wastewater.
• Government Policies and Support System: Indian Government initiatives are promoting infrastructure for water and wastewater through such missions as the Swachh Bharat Mission and the National Water Policy. These policies are encouraging the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment technologies to meet the growing demand for clean water and manage wastewater effectively. The regulatory push for improved water quality and effluent treatment is a key factor driving innovation and development in the secondary water and wastewater treatment market in India.

These new developments will help India‘s secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market grow into a more sustainable, efficient, and technologically oriented industry.

Strategic Growth Opportunities for Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India

India‘s secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market has several strategic growth opportunities. As the country is rapidly industrializing, urbanizing, and focusing on sustainability, businesses can tap into key applications to expand their presence. These opportunities reflect the market‘s transition towards more efficient and sustainable water management systems.

• Municipal Water Treatment Solutions: The municipal sector is highly growth-oriented in India, as the country continues to urbanize. Technologies that ensure better quality of water and efficient treatment, including membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and advanced filtration systems, are increasingly in demand. Municipalities are investing in wastewater treatment infrastructure to meet growing populations‘ demands for water while adhering to stricter environmental regulations. The demand for these solutions will increase as cities expand in India and water management becomes a priority.
• Industrial Wastewater Treatment: India is a significant contributor in industrial sectors like textile, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries, which contribute to wastewater generation. Industries require flexible solutions to treat high-strength wastewater to address discharge regulations. Water reuse, energy recovery, and nutrient removal solutions are becoming more popular nowadays. With more and more industries looking to make their wastewater treatment more viable and sustainable, the demand for advanced secondary treatment equipment tailored to specific needs is also increasing.
• Water Reuse and Recycling: Water reuse and recycling technologies are on a high due to concerns of water scarcity. The industries and municipalities look forward to reduce freshwater consumption. This leads to the demand for advanced water reuse systems. The growth opportunity through the technologies allowing treatment and recycling of wastewater for irrigation, cooling, or industrial processes is tremendous. Companies that specialize in water reuse technologies are better positioned to capture the growth opportunities of sustainable water solutions in India.
• Smart Water Management Solutions: Smart water management systems in India offer a lot of growth opportunity. The utilization of IoT sensors, data analytics, and real-time monitoring provides optimized wastewater treatment and improves operational efficiency. With increased growth in Indian urban centers, the need to have smart water management systems that optimize resource utilization and reduce energy consumption while enhancing the performance of a system will fuel the market with smart technologies.
• Energy-Efficient Technologies: The uptake of energy-efficient technologies, including low-energy membranes, efficient aeration systems, and biogas recovery solutions, in India‘s wastewater treatment sector is on the rise. These reduce energy consumption, operating costs, and help bring the treatment plants closer to India‘s sustainability goals. As energy conservation becomes more imperative for the country, the demand for energy-efficient treatment solutions is gaining momentum, offering opportunities for companies specializing in such technologies to grow market share.

These strategic growth opportunities are shaping the secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market in India by driving innovation, enhancing sustainability, and providing solutions to the country‘s growing water and wastewater management challenges.

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Driver and Challenges

Technological changes are one of the factors that influence India‘s secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market. Regulatory pressures and economic crises further impel the need for clean water, sustainability goals, and stricter regulations. On the flip side, financial constraints, infrastructure, and resource scarcity are significant challenges. This analysis is essential for businesses looking to enter the Indian market.

The factors responsible for driving the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India include:
• Technological Changes: There is continuous advancement of technologies for the treatment of wastewater, which promotes the growth of markets. Technologies such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs), ultrafiltration (UF), and reverse osmosis (RO) offer superior treatment efficacy along with better quality water. Such technologically advanced technologies are improving the discharge standards of municipalities and industries and also offering less environmental impact, thus contributing to the growth of the secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market in India.
• Regulatory Pressures: Stricter environmental regulations and water quality standards are compelling industries and municipalities to adopt more advanced wastewater treatment solutions. The government‘s efforts toward cleaner water and better wastewater management through initiatives like the National Water Policy and the Swachh Bharat Mission are creating demand for efficient secondary treatment technologies that meet regulatory requirements.
• Water Scarcity and Sustainability: Water scarcity remains one of the pressing issues India is facing these days. Water recycling and wastewater reuse technologies thus remain crucial nowadays since industries as well as municipalities become aware of freshwater saving. For instance, treatment of wastewater up to advanced degrees will be preferred where it becomes viable for direct non-potable reuse either in irrigation or industries.
• Energy Efficiency: Energy consumption reduction in wastewater treatment plants is forcing the use of energy-efficient technologies. Low-energy membranes, efficient aeration systems, and biogas recovery technologies reduce operating costs and support sustainability goals. In India, which is striving to save more energy, the energy-efficient solutions for wastewater treatment will be the most important ones.
• Smart Water Management: The integration of smart technologies, for example, IoT sensors, real-time monitoring, and data analytics, is transforming the sector of wastewater treatment. These are improving system performance, optimizing the treatment processes, and reducing operation costs. Due to the current digital transformation going on in India, the incorporation of smart water management systems would increase, propelling the growth of the market.

Challenges in the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India are:
• Initial Costs are Pretty High: Advanced wastewater treatment systems demand an initial high cost, which can be a barrier for municipalities and industries with tight budgets. Long-term benefits, as water quality improves and energy saved, are evident, but the initial investment required to introduce new technologies makes the process slow and prone to delays, especially in small cities and rural areas.
• Infrastructure Limitations: Many regions within India still rely on outdated or inadequate wastewater treatment infrastructure. Retrofitting or upgrading these systems to incorporate advanced technologies can often prove to be challenging and quite costly. Infrastructure limitations may impede further growth of the secondary wastewater treatment market, especially in less developed areas.
• Resource Constraints: India suffers from a lack of skilled labor and financial resources, which are essential for the implementation of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Inadequate training and technical expertise in the operation of advanced systems make the implementation of efficient wastewater treatment solutions even more difficult.

These drivers and challenges are shaping the secondary water and wastewater treatment equipment market in India. Technological innovation and regulatory support are driving growth, while financial and infrastructural constraints remain the biggest obstacles.

List of Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Companies

Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. Through these strategies, secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment companies cater to increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base. Some of the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment companies profiled in this report include:
• Company 1
• Company 2
• Company 3
• Company 4
• Company 5

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India by Segment

The study includes a forecast for the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India by equipment and application.

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India by Equipment [Analysis by Value from 2019 to 2031]:

• Activated Sludge
• Sludge Treatment

Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India by Application [Analysis by Value from 2019 to 2031]:

• Municipal
• Industrial
• Others

Features of the Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India

Market Size Estimates: Secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment in India market size estimation in terms of value ($B).
Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends and forecasts by various segments.
Segmentation Analysis: Secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment in India market size by equipment and application in terms of value ($B).
Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different equipment and application for the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment in India.
Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment in India.
Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter’s Five Forces model.

If you are looking to expand your business in this or adjacent markets, then contact us. We have done hundreds of strategic consulting projects in market entry, opportunity screening, due diligence, supply chain analysis, M & A, and more.

FAQ

Q1. What are the major drivers influencing the growth of the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India?
Answer: The major drivers for this market are growing need for wastewater treatment facilities and stricter laws and technical integration in the form of the creation of novel secondary treatment techniques, such as integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) and moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR).
Q2. What are the major segments for secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India?
Answer: The future of the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India looks promising with opportunities in the municipal and industrial markets.
Q3. Which secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market segment in India will be the largest in future?
Answer: Lucintel forecasts that activated sludge segment is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to removal of harmful bacteria to lower the health risks for people and surroundings that may come into contact with the material.
Q4. Do we receive customization in this report?
Answer: Yes, Lucintel provides 10% customization without any additional cost.

This report answers following 10 key questions:

Q.1. What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the secondary water & wastewater treatment equipment market in India by equipment (activated sludge and sludge treatment), and application (municipal, industrial, and others)?
Q.2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.3. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the key challenges and business risks in this market?
Q.4. What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market?
Q.5. What are the emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them?
Q.6. What are some of the changing demands of customers in the market?
Q.7. What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?
Q.8. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are key players pursuing for business growth?
Q.9. What are some of the competing products in this market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by material or product substitution?
Q.10. What M&A activity has occurred in the last 5 years and what has its impact been on the industry?
For any questions related to Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Size, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Growth, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Analysis, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Report, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Share, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Trends, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market in India Forecast, Secondary Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Companies, write Lucintel analyst at email: helpdesk@lucintel.com. We will be glad to get back to you soon.