Titan Hosts Design Impact Awards Conclave - Addressing The Water Crisis (Second Edition) At The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru

The second edition of the Design Impact Awards, themed around addressing the water crisis, was held on 18 February 2026 at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru. As part of the Design Impact Awards second edition, six startups were selected and supported with grants of ₹50 lakh each to implement their solutions over the past year. This conclave marked a celebration of the on-ground impact created during this implementation phase, while also bringing together leaders from industry, government, and the innovation ecosystem through keynote addresses and panel discussions.

The event featured a recognition ceremony for partners and grantees and culminated in the announcement of 2–3 startups selected for the “Deep Impact” phase, where received larger grants to further scale their innovations. Beyond the awards, the platform enables startups to showcase their work, build strategic connections, and explore pathways for wider adoption of their solutions.

The winners:

1. CultYvate (Farm2Folk Pvt. Ltd.)

2. SmartTerra Urban Water Management Pvt. Ltd.

3. Solinas Integrity Pvt. Ltd.

The Conclave brought together a diverse set of key stakeholders from government, industry, philanthropy, and the social innovation ecosystem. The event was attended by senior leaders such as Mr. Ajoy Chawla, Managing Director, Titan Company; Mr. N.E. Sridhar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company; Mr. Ashok Natarajan, CEO, Steady-Taps Consulting; and Shri. Srinivasulu, IFS, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment & Ecology Department, Government of Karnataka.

In addition, representatives from partner institutions including BWSSB, EMPRI, CSR leaders, philanthropic organizations, ecosystem enablers, and participating startups were also present, creating a multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue, collaboration, and scaling of water innovations.

Featured Grantees & Impact Highlights

Over the past year, the six grantees have piloted scalable solutions across agriculture, urban water management, wastewater recycling, and pipeline inspection. Highlights include:

CultYvate (Farm2Folk Pvt. Ltd.) – IoT-based Alternate Wetting & Drying system for paddy farming; pilot in Punjab covering 2,500 acres and 600–800 farmers

SmartTerra Urban Water Management Pvt. Ltd. – AI-driven software for leak detection and NRW reduction; pilot in Khammam, Telangana

Solinas Integrity Pvt. Ltd. – Robotic inspection systems to reduce Non-Revenue Water; 16 km of pipeline inspected in Kolhapur

EF Polymer Pvt. Ltd. – 100% organic biodegradable superabsorbent polymer to enhance soil water retention; pilot in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

EcoSTP Technologies Pvt. Ltd. – Net Zero Sewage Treatment Technology; pilot demonstration at EMPRI, Bengaluru

Transwater Systems Pvt. Ltd. (BOSON White Water System) – Decentralized wastewater treatment; pilot at Kadubeesanahalli BWSSB STP, Bengaluru.