20-Year-Old Innovator Piyush Jha Tackles Industrial Wastewater With Affordable Technology

Twenty-year-old entrepreneur Piyush Jha has developed a decentralised, modular wastewater treatment system aimed at making treatment more affordable and practical for industries, an innovation recognised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India through its Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge.

Jha said his innovation was prompted by the wastewater accumulating around homes in Mumbai slums, where he had moved from Madhubani in Bihar. He said the system initially targets industries that generate heavily biodegradable waste.

The technology uses microorganisms to break down wastewater and does not require chemical dosing or heavy civil infrastructure, according to Jha. He said it can also generate electricity during the treatment process.

The system is designed for sectors including textiles, leather, food and beverages, distilleries, paper and pulp, and sugar, which generate significant amounts of biodegradable waste.

Jha told PTI that industries could reduce water-treatment operational costs through his pretreatment solution. He cited an example in which an industry spending around Rs 20 lakh could potentially bring the cost down to Rs 5-7 lakh.

His company has begun working with several partners, including Indra Water, a Mumbai-based cleantech startup that develops decentralised wastewater treatment systems, and Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, a Pune-based sweets and snacks enterprise.

Jha also said his company received a conditional purchase order from Dahej Waste Service, a Gujarat-based provider of commercial and industrial cleaning and waste management services.

The entrepreneur said the idea took shape during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his mother helped him obtain a second-hand laptop. He later left DG Sanghvi College in Mumbai, where he had scored 98 percentile in MHT-CET, to focus on his startup.

Through the Youth Co:Lab programme, Jha received mentorship, investor connections and opportunities to interact with industry professionals. He said a four-day bootcamp in Hyderabad helped him secure two major partnerships.

The programme is co-led by UNDP India and the Citi Foundation, in collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and implemented by T-Hub.