19OCTOBER 2025In an interaction with Thiruamuthan, Correspondent, Industry Outlook, Shoeb Kurawadwala, Founder & Managing Director of CN Water, discusses India's gaps in meeting semiconductor-grade ultrapure water standards, urging global expertise, robust design, and sustainability to tackle local water quality challenges and ensure competitiveness.Shoeb Kurawadwala brings over 20 years of expertise in pharmaceutical water treatment, specializing in Electro-Deionization, Ozonation, and process engineering, delivering high-purity, innovative, and efficient solutions to leading Indian and global pharmaceutical companies.INDUSTRY INSIGHTSWHY MOST WATER PURIFICATION COMPANIES FAIL AT ULTRA PURE WATER SYSTEMSWith semiconductor and pharma sectors driving India's ultrapure water demand, how prepared is the domestic industry to deliver precision quality while ensuring cost competitiveness?First, let's differentiate between ultrapure water, as required by the semiconductor industry, and high-purity water ­ HPW, WFI and so on - which are required in pharma. Both demand extremely stringent standards in terms of microbial limits, system design, and monitoring, but the context is different.Most domestic water system providers have great capabilities for high-volume, general-use applications like municipal or industrial water. But in the semiconductors space, even a PPT (parts per trillion) level impurity is unacceptable.Frankly, there is a humongous gap between their processes or capabilities and what the semiconductor industry expects. Most Indian companies lack deep expertise or hands-on experience in UPW system design. They would require experienced global partners for key technologies and design. The remaining equipment can be localized to ensure cost competitiveness. This has been the basis on which a few current projects are being executed.Given the high economic impact of membrane fouling and scaling, what India-specific water quality issues make ultra-pure system inefficiency costlier and harder to manage effectively? The challenge starts with the source water itself ­ high variability, low predictability ­ both in contamination and chemical composition. Problems like high TOC and TDS levels, which are common in Indian water sources, demand additional unit operations and treatment steps. It also needs strong process design engineering to prevent fouling and extend membrane life.So, in the Indian context, a robust and elaborate pretreatment system becomes a necessary addition to the standard modules of UPW systems, making the overall solution costlier ­ both Capex and Opex-wise.Shoeb Kurawadwala,Founder & Managing DirectorShoeb Kurawadwala, Founder & Managing Director, CN Water
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