In a major boost to India’s sustainability and water resilience efforts, Hyderabad-based Megaliter Varunaa has raised ₹15 crore in seed funding from long-term institutional investors. The fresh infusion marks a key milestone in the startup’s mission to reinvent how Indian cities handle water — from wastewater management to reuse and recycling.
With urban centers growing at breakneck speed, India faces one of its most pressing challenges yet: water scarcity. Megaliter Varunaa is on a mission to turn this challenge into an opportunity through a model that doesn’t just treat wastewater but transforms it into a renewable resource.
Credits: Rediff Money
The Megaliter Model: Turning Waste into Wealth
At the heart of Megaliter Varunaa’s innovation is its “Megaliter Model” — a zero-capex, subscription-based system that redefines the traditional sewage treatment plant (STP). Instead of stopping at treatment, the company turns these units into circular water utilities where wastewater is continuously recycled and reused.
Since its inception, the startup has treated over 3 billion liters of wastewater and currently processes more than 2.5 billion liters annually. With this new funding, Megaliter Varunaa aims to scale tenfold, targeting the recycling of 10 billion liters per year within the next 12 months. That kind of scale could make a tangible difference in India’s rapidly expanding cities, where water demand already far exceeds supply.
The Visionary Behind the Mission
Leading this ambitious change is Vishal Murarka, Managing Director of Megaliter Varunaa and CEO of Banka BioLoo Limited. With years of experience in sustainable infrastructure, business development, and strategy, Murarka brings both vision and execution to the table.
An Indian School of Business (ISB) alumnus with an MBA in Marketing and Analytical Finance, and a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Amravati University, Murarka has previously held leadership roles at Piramal Realty and L&T Realty. His career has consistently focused on large-scale urban development projects — experience that now translates directly into reshaping India’s water infrastructure.
Under his leadership, Megaliter Varunaa has evolved from a small enterprise into a national frontrunner in wastewater recycling and circular water systems.
Backed by Brigade REAP: The Accelerator Advantage
Megaliter Varunaa’s journey has also been shaped by its association with Brigade REAP, the PropTech-focused accelerator backed by Bengaluru’s Brigade Group. The program provided the startup with mentorship and strategic insights that helped refine its market approach and strengthen its technology’s user-centric design.
Through this guidance, the company has ensured that its solutions are both environmentally sustainable and commercially scalable. The result is a rare balance — a business model that drives profitability while directly addressing urban sustainability challenges.
Rethinking India’s Water Management Crisis
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a large portion of India’s urban sewage remains untreated, and many STPs operate below capacity. The consequences are severe: polluted water bodies, environmental degradation, and rising health risks.
Megaliter Varunaa’s model tackles these systemic issues by retrofitting and optimizing existing STPs, allowing treated water to be reused for industrial, landscaping, and municipal purposes. This reduces dependence on freshwater sources and fosters a self-sustaining urban water cycle — a necessity for future-ready cities.
Building a Circular Water Economy
With its new funding, Megaliter Varunaa plans to expand into more Indian cities, strengthen its technology infrastructure, and speed up project development. Its larger mission is to convert inefficient sewage systems into circular water hubs, effectively transforming waste into value.
By enabling cities to reuse their own wastewater, the company is helping lay the foundation for a circular water economy — one where every drop counts and nothing goes to waste.
Credits: Megaliter Varunaa
A Blueprint for a Sustainable Urban Future
Megaliter Varunaa’s success goes beyond a funding milestone. It’s a powerful example of how innovation, sustainability, and business viability can come together to solve one of India’s most urgent crises.
In a time when many cities are teetering on the brink of water stress, Megaliter Varunaa offers hope — proving that wastewater isn’t the end of the line, but the beginning of a new cycle. By recycling billions of liters every year, the company is not just conserving water; it’s reshaping how cities live, grow, and thrive in a resource-conscious future.
