Water management is a global change – no where more so than in India, where the effects of climate change are devasting communities and impacting the economy. Enter Alluvium Group, with innovative, science-based solutions that are helping to drive change.
Alluvium Group is focused on the sustainable management of catchments, waterways, ecosystems, and the communities that rely on them. The company provides an integrated catchment-to-coast management service to inform strategic planning and engineering design. It also provides consulting services at the intersection of climate change and catchment-to-coast science, engineering and economics.
A growing business in India
When Alluvium turned its export gaze towards India 8 years ago, it identified a giant opportunity.
‘India is a global hotspot for many of the challenges we work on,’ says Simon Tilleard, General Manager – International, Alluvium Group. ‘These include sharing water resources efficiently, sustainably and equitably, mitigating the effects of climate change, and addressing the decline of natural resources.’
Since its initial foray into India in 2016, Alluvium has expanded significantly. It established a registered business in India in early 2021 and now has offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. There are also plans to open a new office in Mumbai.
‘We have seen substantial growth in the India team and expect this to continue,’ says Samrat Basak, India Country Manager for the Alluvium Group in India (AGI).
He says revenue has increased by more than 1,500% over the past 3 years. Operations in India now contribute close to 20% of Alluvium Group’s overall export business in the Asia-Pacific outside Australia.
‘AGI’s contribution is both through revenue and building a more global outlook across the group,’ says Basak.
Scaling up to address urgent water issues
AGI’s first project was at the national scale, with a focus on the Krishna River in central India. Now, AGI projects are delivering a diverse range of science-based solutions throughout India’s southern and northeastern regions.
Some of the AGI services tackling critical issues in the world’s most populous country include:
- water-sensitive planning and engineering
- extreme weather risk assessment
- urban resilience
- waterways health management.
‘Water has become the defining challenge of our times, creating crisis situations in several states and cities in recent years,’ says Basak. Climate change in India, he adds, is already affecting people’s health and wellbeing, devastating economies and threatening lives and livelihoods.
He points to other megatrends exacerbating the situation, including:
- rising populations
- unplanned and unmanaged urbanisation and industrialisation
- rapid environmental degradation of natural capital.
While these problems present enormous challenges in India, they also provide a unique opportunity.
‘We have an exceptional opportunity to get water management right – to leapfrog and develop comprehensive policies, plans and solutions leveraging the energy and growth potential,’ says Basak. ‘Getting water management right is a critical step towards higher productivity and more sustainable development across India.’
The Alluvium team is helping Indian communities with water-sensitive planning and waterways management.
Playing the long game
AGI has taken a ‘long-term entry approach’, where regular trips and hiring Indian personnel demonstrate a commitment to the country. The company is also clear and consistent in its messaging about the unique and high-quality expertise it provides. It has also developed a diverse client base covering government, multilateral agencies and the private sector.
In the public sphere, AGI is currently working with the Indian Government across a range of large-scale programs to tackle water scarcity and river health. Basak says the private sector is also responding to the challenge.
‘We are now working with several large conglomerates on issues such as mitigating the impacts of their operations on biodiversity, flood management and understanding climate risks,’ he says.
Vital support from Austrade
Austrade has played a pivotal role in this export success story.
‘Austrade support was critical to our entry into the Indian market,’ explains Tilleard. ‘This was primarily about providing introductions to clients and potential partners. In particular, Austrade facilitated meetings at high levels of government. This was useful in terms of building understanding and recognition of the Alluvium brand.’
Tilleard encourages other Australian businesses to explore Austrade’s suite of services and expertise when eyeing export opportunities. ‘When entering a new market, meeting a broad range of clients and partners is critical,’ he says. ‘Austrade has deep networks that can be accessed.’
Leveraging “Brand Australia” is another key advantage. ‘Australia has a great global reputation in a diverse range of sectors,’ says Tilleard. ‘Austrade can help leverage this reputation through their Australian Government links.’
Tapping into growth opportunities
India is ranked among the most vulnerable countries to climate events and climate change. Basak says the water sector needs to be at the centre of the country’s response to increasing heatwave and flood risks. For AGI, the major focus is delivering the transformative solutions needed to reduce those risks and help build resilience.
‘Our work focuses on solving the nation’s most urgent challenges around water, nature and communities,’ says Basak. ‘Drawing on this focus, we are seeing growing demand for our offerings and we plan to continue to grow in line with this demand.’
Go further, faster with Austrade
Austrade’s Go Global Toolkit helps you learn the export basics, find the right markets and understand market requirements.