BENGALURU: Karnataka is positioning itself as a national leader in AI-driven urban water governance with AI and digital technologies set to play a central role in managing future challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanisation, groundwater depletion and infrastructure stress, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh said on Wednesday.
She was speaking at the inaugural session of ‘National AI and Digital Water Summit 2026’ organised by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).Highlighting the growing pressure on cities such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Dharwad and Belagavi, she said intelligent governance systems are becoming essential for efficient, transparent and accountable public services.
“AI and digital intelligence are no longer optional tools for urban utilities. Real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, demand forecasting and data-driven governance will define the future of water management,” she said. Stating that Karnataka has established AI Centres of Excellence and introduced policy frameworks supporting digital procurement, data sharing and performance-based governance systems, Rajneesh said accountability must remain at the core of digital transformation. “Data should ultimately lead to measurable governance outcomes. Technology must strengthen public trust and institutional efficiency,” she added.
Tushar Girinath, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, said, “Technology alone cannot bring about change. AI systems can only achieve absolute success when complemented by institutional frameworks, government mechanisms and human cooperation.”
BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said Bengaluru’s scale and complexity demand a shift from conventional utility operations to predictive and intelligent management systems.
“BWSSB today serves more than 14 million citizens. Managing water for one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolitan cities requires deep operational intelligence and technology-led governance,” he said.
He said BWSSB has implemented city-scale SCADA systems, GIS-based mapping, IoT-enabled monitoring, automated leak detection systems, and smart metering pilots as part of its digital transformation journey. BWSSB has reduced non-revenue water from over 50% to nearly 26.5%, resulting in saving nearly 200 million litres of water a day.
Manohar revealed that BWSSB’s AI-driven energy optimisation initiatives have identified nearly Rs 42 crore avoidable annual electricity expenditure in its pumping systems.
“AI is not about dashboards. It is about predictive governance, accountability, and measurable outcomes. We are moving from reactive operations towards intelligent utility management,” he said. He said BWSSB aims at achieving city-wide smart metering, further reducing non-revenue water and emerge as a national benchmark for intelligent urban utilities over the next five years.
FKCCI president Uma Reddy, founder and CEO of Elets Technomedia Ravi Gupta, and KPMG partner and head of Government and Public Services (G&PS) Nilachal Mishra were present.
Water experts, AI specialists, policymakers, representatives of technology companies and startups, and urban governance professionals from across the country and abroad participated in the event.
