Amazon India has invested more than ₹37 crore in water replenishment projects across India, with initiatives expected to restore over 3 billion litres of water annually, benefiting people in water-stressed communities. The portfolio of projects spans four major urban centres—Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Mumbai—supporting Amazon's commitment to return more water to communities than it uses in its direct operations in India by 2027. These initiatives employ various techniques including desilting, bund formations, and rainwater harvesting to address both urban water security and rural agricultural resilience.
Water security represents one of India's most pressing environmental challenges, requiring collaborative solutions across sectors.
"Through strategic investments in both urban and rural watersheds, we're not only addressing immediate water access issues but also building long-term resilience for communities where we operate. Each project is designed to support agricultural livelihoods, enhancing biodiversity, and securing urban water supplies," he adds.
Supporting Maharashtra's water resilience
Amazon also announced its latest water investment—a ₹10 crore project in Maharashtra's Vaitarna hydrobasin that will replenish 1.3 billion litres annually when completed in 2027. Developed with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), this initiative is expected to benefit 700 farming families.
The Vaitarna hydrobasin is crucial to the region's water security. Both Tansa and Lower Vaitarna reservoirs located within 15 kilometres of the project location provide more than 870 million litres of drinking water daily to Mumbai city. This initiative supports the water security of the Mumbai metropolitan region, where Amazon has significant operational presence including multiple corporate offices, AWS data centres, and fulfilment centres.
"It is with immense pleasure that I welcome the initiative to replenish the Vaitarna River. Enhancing climate resilience in water-stressed communities is a key priority for the Maharashtra Government,” says Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. “The collaboration between Amazon and ICRISAT to replenish groundwater in the Vaitarna basin is a vital step in this direction. The Vaitarna River is crucial not only for the Mumbai metropolitan region but also for Maharashtra's agro-systems and communities. Its regeneration will directly benefit our communities, farmers, and food systems.”
He adds, “I commend Amazon's commitment to groundwater recharge in the Vaitarna basin, which will support our smallholder farmers and ensure water security for future generations. Given the challenges posed by climate change and groundwater depletion, such initiatives are both timely and essential. I look forward to the long-term benefits this project will bring to our people, agriculture, and environment. Once again, I congratulate and applaud everyone involved in this initiative and wish them the best for its success.”
The project will implement a range of measures to replenish water, such as ponds to harvest rainwater, field bunding – where low embankments are built around fields – and improved drainage networks. These solutions aim to control soil erosion, increase water storage, provide irrigation supply, and boost local agricultural productivity while enhancing groundwater across the region.
Urban water restoration initiatives
Amazon's water portfolio includes the restoration of Yamare Lake near Bengaluru and Sai Reddy Lake near Hyderabad, in collaboration with SayTrees, which together is expected to replenish over 570 million litres annually. In New Delhi, the company is working with Hasten Regeneration on a Yamuna River watershed project that is expected to add another 400 million litres of annual replenishment capacity. These initiatives employ solutions such as desilting, repair bund formations, restoring intel/outlet structures, and constructing percolation pits to maximise water replenishment.
Similarly, AWS has implemented significant water projects across India, including groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting initiatives with WaterAid in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh that is expected to supply 640 million litres of water annually. AWS's collaboration with Water.org has provided more than 500 million litres of water annually to people who previously lacked consistent access to clean water around Mumbai and Hyderabad. AWS is also working with SEARCH, a nonprofit organisation that enables marginalised rural groups to achieve enhanced socioeconomic status, to deliver 86 million litres of water annually back to farmers in villages surrounding Hyderabad.
Supporting farming families in Maharashtra
The community impact of Amazon's water investments extends beyond environmental benefits, creating significant economic opportunities. The Maharashtra project alone is expected to boost household incomes by approximately 80% for participating farming families by enabling increased agricultural productivity during the Rabi season. Similar outcomes have been documented at other project sites, where improved water access has transformed agricultural possibilities and reduced vulnerability to drought conditions. These water replenishment initiatives align with Amazon's broader sustainability commitments, including its goal to reach net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040 as a co-founder of The Climate Pledge.
More information about Amazon’s commitment to water conservation and restoration can be found on Amazon’s Water Stewardship website.
