Diageo India leads industry-first water stewardship initiative in partnership with SOURCE Global, PBC

Diageo India, the country’s leading beverage alcohol company, announced a water stewardship initiative in partnership with SOURCE Global, PBC. The company’s SOURCE Hydropanels, a groundbreaking technology that uses the sun to draw pure, constantly replenished water vapor out of the sky, will produce premium water for Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whisky.

As the technology partner, SOURCE Global will build a 200-panel water farm in Alwar, Rajasthan. Initially, the installation is expected to generate 9,000 liters of water within the first six months and will further scale up to produce around 27,000 liters of water per month after a year. Because SOURCE is drawn from the pure and constantly replenished water in the sky, the project will save groundwater. Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whisky, produced in the warm and dry Alwar region of Rajasthan, will be the first beverage alcohol brand to use SOURCE water.

Because SOURCE water is locally made, it reflects the unique terroir of the region. SOURCE Hydropanels also operate off-grid and without electricity or traditional piped water infrastructure, reducing the carbon emissions associated with treating and transporting potable water.

Hina Nagarajan, managing director & chief executive officer, Diageo India, said, “We have a responsibility to grow our business sustainably from grain to glass. Last year, we set a vision and commitment to building our Society 2030 program, aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The innovative actions of our teams and partners will help us conserve groundwater considerably. Our partnership with SOURCE is aligned with the craft philosophy of born good, made good, and serving good. This is a step forward in our journey to be part of the solution in water-stressed geographies.”

“As the first company to use renewable water in an alcohol brand, Diageo India is serving the growing demand for premium, sustainable products in an incredibly unique and powerful way,” said Neil Grimmer, brand president, SOURCE Global, PBC. “The world, especially in already water-stressed regions like Rajasthan, is now facing the harsh realities of climate change, and Diageo is leading the way toward a more secure and sustainable future. We are proud to partner with them.”

This initiative is aligned with Diageo India’s commitment towards Society 2030: Spirit of Progress Plan. The company recently released its maiden ESG Index, which highlighted the multiple initiatives undertaken by the company during the year such as creating a water replenishment capacity of 4,62,182 Cu.M annually and 84,000 liters of potable drinking water per day under its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program. The company is working to replenish more water than it uses in the water-stressed sites across its operating locations in India through reforestation, wetland restoration, desilting ponds, and rainwater harvesting.