Denmark has based an Innovation Centre in New Delhi
and Bangalore, India. The centre has the important role
of facilitating and implementing bilateral collaboration
between Denmark and India in the areas of research and
innovation. This also involves the support for companies –
including start-ups and SME’s - in their endeavour to access
the Indian market and provide the necessary solutions
within important areas likes wastewater treatment, energy
efficiency, solid waste management etc. The Innovation
Centre plays an important role in covering the entire value
chain and thereby securing those new and smart ideas
that will eventually reach the Indian market. This does not
only include commercialisation and export advice, but also
assistance in the earlier stage of the basic research process. Nordic system solutions with increased opportunities of
exports for Nordic companies.
Nordic Sustainable Cities Project
The goal of the joint Nordic Sustainable Cities project being
implemented by the Nordic countries present in India
is to build sustainable and value-creating platform that
enhances exports of innovative solutions for smart liveable
and sustainable cities in selected cities in India. Water in Urban Areas
Innovation Centre Denmark organised together with “Vand
i Byer” innovation network led by Danish Technological
Institute a study trip to India in November 2018. The focus
was on ‘Good business with new water and climate adaption
technologies’. The visit was a unique opportunity to present
planning and technological solutions to relevant target
groups and decision makers in the research environments,
as well as the public and private sector in India.
An intermediate objective is to gather a mass of companies
and decision-makers, and present them to specific business
opportunities in targeted Indian cities within a 2-year period.
In doing so, the platform will develop and strengthen the
pan-Nordic brand within city solutions, and facilitate new
The project can bring together competences from different
areas of the Nordic region in regards to sustainable
solutions to urban environment. Beyond this, the initiative
will seek to generate synergies between different sectors
persuading development of urban solutions. This will
further help addressing the challenges outlined in the
Sustainable Development Goal 11: Make cities inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable, but also goal number 8
regarding decent work and economic growth and number
17 regarding partnerships as the main source for meeting
the development goals.
Kamstrup – supplier of smart water metering solutions in India
Kamstrup is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of intelligent energy and water metering solutions.
In 2014, the Danish company Kamstrup started installation of around 13,500 smart water meters in Shirpur Warwade,
a town located in the Dhule district in northern Maharashtra. In order to restore sustainable water availability for its
inhabitants, Shirpur Warwade municipal council began the implementation of 24X7 water supply scheme and smart
water metering was a crucial part of it. Before that, the water supply was intermittent, hence the water consumption
was very heavy during the supply hours and there was no accountability for the same. After installing Kamstrup’s
smart meters and AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) solution, the municipal council boasts of saving over 40 lakh litres
of water every day. Furthermore, they get notifications about any leaks, burst or meter tampering through a smart
alarm system inside the meters.
The road to smart metering was full of challenges for the municipal council as well as the citizens. Kamstrup stepped up
as partner with the council for knowledge sharing, facilitation of demos, monitoring consumption patterns, generating
sample bills and educating citizens about the new metering system. Today, the council advocates that the solution
has resulted in achieving efficiency in it’s day-to-day processes. The field executives are able to read all the meters
prepare and distribute bills to entire town in less than 5 days as compared to 30-35 days in earlier times. Besides, the
meter reading and billing department needs 60% lesser work force as Kamstrup’s smart metering solution guarantees
smooth operations and maintenance for 10 years. Moreover, the citizens have become more conscious about their
consumption as they feel assured of the consistent water supply and they now pay as per their consumption. Thereby,
assuring better revenue collection for the utility. Before smart metering, the town had a flat rate-rate billing system
and citizens would pay a standard charge bi-annually. By early 2018, Shirpur became the first ever city in India to have
100% connections with smart water meters and AMR system.
31