NSF Hosts Water Forum in India

New Delhi: NSF, a leading testing and certification organization in the water industry, successfully hosted the NSF Water Forum 2024 in Delhi on December 11 and in Mumbai on December 12. The forum, with its theme “Your Products’ Passport to Global Markets,” aimed to bring together public and private sector stakeholders dedicated to ensuring safe drinking water in public distribution systems across India.

The forum was structured around two critical areas: the role of standards in ensuring safe drinking water from source to tap, and innovative, localized solutions to address water safety challenges. Government representatives, regulators, industry leaders, and experts contributed their insights and expertise in these areas.

In the Delhi chapter, Scott Morris, Senior Vice President of International Markets and Laboratories at NSF, and Nathalie Scharf from USCS India delivered opening remarks. Keynote speakers included Dr. Ramakant from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Mehnaz Ansari from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). A lively panel discussion was led by Jyoti Bhasin, Managing Director of APAC at NSF, featuring experts such as Pradeep Singh from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Nitasha Doger from the Bureau of Indian Standards, Dheeraj Kaushik from Tata Consulting Engineers, Nandakumar E from International Centre for Clean Water, and Harold Chase, Director of Government Affairs at NSF. The event also included technical sessions led by Hemen Patel of AWWA-India and B.B. Singh, APAC Sales Director of Water at NSF.

The Mumbai chapter included an engaging panel discussion moderated by Jyoti Bhasin, focusing on innovative and localized solutions for water safety. Panelists included Hrushikesh Sandhe from Walter P Moore, Pankaj Dharkar from Pankaj Dharkar & Associates, Pawan Labhasetwar, a former scientist from CSIR-NEERI, and Harold Chase. Technical presentations by Prasana Shah from AWWA-India and B.B. Singh highlighted the critical importance of source-to-tap standards.

The NSF Water Forum 2024 highlights the collaborative efforts of global and local experts in addressing critical water issues and promoting awareness of water standards. This event underscores NSF's commitment to the Indian market as a leading provider of water solutions. This dedication will serve as a solid foundation for improving water quality in India.

"We believe that the impact of this forum will be long-lasting. Real change will occur when knowledge is shared, and water systems adhere to high standards. We look forward to collaborating with local governments and agencies to improve water quality standards in India while reinforcing NSF’s mission to improve human and planet health." Said Scott Morris.

About NSF

NSF is an independent, global services organization dedicated to improving human and planet health for more than 80 years by developing public health standards and providing world-class testing, inspection, certification, advisory services and digital solutions to the food, nutrition, water, life sciences and consumer goods industries. NSF has 40,000 clients in 110 countries and is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Medical Device Safety.

NSF’s Water Division provides risk assessments, testing, inspection, and certification services for the water industry from source to tap. NSF facilitated the development of the American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water to help protect public health and the environment and minimize adverse health effects. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards.