Selection and adoption of water purification technologies in the bottled water industry in India

Abstract

Today, more than sixty per cent of the global bottled water manufacturing takes place in the countries of the global south. Despite being a low-tech sector, the industry is heavily influenced by the advancement and adoption of new water purification technologies and science-based regulations introduced by regulatory agencies. This paper examines the factors and mechanisms through which selection and adoption take place in this sector. The study draws upon firm-level surveys, expert interviews, ethnographic data, and select court cases and policy reports. We find that economic (firm’s size, firm’s age, and ownership structure) and socio-environmental factors (environmental subjectivities of major actors, regulatory (in-) capacity, role of supporting institutions) shape the pattern and combinations of technological adoption and technological changes at the firm level to meet the goals of “safety” and “quality”. However, the use of certain technologies are not devoid of serious environmental and public health concerns. The regulatory actors need to pay closer attention to the direct and indirect impacts of technology use on public health, the economy and the environment to make public policies more just and to meet sustainable development goals.