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The Indo-Global Irrigation Summit 2025 was organized by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations under the aegis of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, bringing together global leaders in water management, irrigation experts, and representatives from international and national financing agencies and governments. The main theme of the Summit is “Best Irrigation Practices for Water and Food Security”. The Summit was attended by over 300 delegates representing water resource departments, international agencies, and private innovators, etc.
This landmark event brought together national and international stakeholders to explore cutting-edge irrigation technologies, sustainable water management, and food security strategies.
The inaugural Session was graced by:
- Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti
- HE Hon. Ms Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia
- Dr. Marco Arcieri, President, ICID
- Mr. Mukesh Puri, IAS, CMD, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd
- Dr. R.K. Gupta, Secretary General, ICID
With participation from:
- President Hon. Prof. Dr. Chandra Madramootoo
- President Hon. Eng. Felix Reinders
- Vice President ANAFIDE Prof. El - Houssine Bartali
- Ms. Cristina Clemente Martinez, DG, Irrigation Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Spain – Virtual participation
Insightful deliberations from esteemed international organizations:
- FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) - Mr. Salman Maher, Senior Land & Water Officer; and Mr. Krishnan Pallassana, Senior Specialist
- IWMI (International Water Management Institute) - Dr. Mark Smith, Director General (virtual participation), and Mr. Alok K. Sikka, Country Representative – India & Bangladesh
- World Bank - Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director-Water
- ESCAP - Ms. Mikiko Tanaka, Head, Sub-Regional Office for South and South-West Asia, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) - Ms. Alexia Michels, Senior Water Resources Specialist; and Dr. Takeshi Ueda, Director
…alongside several other global leaders in sustainable agriculture and water systems.
A commemorative publication titled "ICID75: Towards Ensuring a Water and Food Secure World" was released during the inaugural ceremony.
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The discussions focused on:
- Integrated water resource management
- Climate-resilient agriculture
- Digital transformation in irrigation
- Public-private partnerships for scaling solutions
We gratefully acknowledge the sponsors and exhibitors whose support made this summit impactful:
WRD Maharashtra, Rungta Mines Ltd., Electrosteel, Larsen & Toubro, Aqua, Saisanket, Jindal, Balaji, WAPCOS, Vassar Labs, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Photonics, Agrocast, Rubicon, Airesq Climsols Pvt. Ltd., Jalkruti Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and Geocrte Radar Technology Pvt. Ltd.
With participation from over 300 delegates representing water resource departments, international agencies, and private innovators — the summit served as a powerful platform to drive forward India’s water and food security agenda.
P R E S E N T A T I O N S |
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| 24 JUNE 2025 (TUESDAY) |
| High Level Dialogue: Water and Food Security in the Context of Climate Change |
| 1. The importance of cooperation in securing water and food in an era of climate change (Ms. Mikiko Tanaka, Head, Sub-regional office for South and South-west Asia, UN ESCAP) |
| 2. FAO's water journey towards the 2030 Agenda (Salman Maher, Senior Land & Water Officer, FAO) – Virtual Participation |
| 3. Water for food: how to feed 10 billion people by 2050 (Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director-Water, World Bank) |
| 4. Reimagining Irrigation and Water Systems for Climate-Resilient Water and Food Security (Dr. Mark Smith, Director General, IWMI) – Virtual Participation |
| 5. Best practices in WRM and Irrigation (Mukesh Puri, CMD, SSNNL, Government of Gujarat) |
| 6. Water and Energy Nexus: The Key to Building a Resilient Future (R.K. Agrawal, CMD, WAPCOS) |
| 7. Primacy of People’s Participation for Sustainable Water Resources (Krishnan Pallassana, Senior Specialist, FAO) |
| ICID Platinum Jubilee |
| 1. Memories: 75 Years of ICID – A short film |
| 2. World Declaration by ICID |
| 3. Irrigation and Drainage Modernization and Expansion in Canada: A Global Success Story (Prof. Dr. Chandra A. Madramootoo, President Hon., ICID, Canada) |
| 4. Celebrating Irrigation Technology (Eng. Felix Britz Reinders, President Hon., ICID, South Africa) |
| 5. Curtain raiser to World Irrigation Forum 4 – A short film |
| 6. Turning common challenges of agriculture and irrigation sectors into opportunities (Dr. Marco Arcieri, President, ICID, Italy) |
| 7. KHETTARA: A hydraulic heritage systems at risk – conservation strategy (Prof. El Houssine BARTALI, Association Nationale des Ameliorations Foncieres, de l'Irrigation (ANAFIDE), Morocco) |
| 8. New Technologies for irrigation management using thermal satellites (Prof. Wim Bastianssen, The Netherlands) – Virtual Participation |
| Harmonizing WFE Nexus: Strategies for Sustainable Water Resource Management: Keynote Addresses |
| 1. Modernisation of Irrigation Sector in Indian context (Vivek Kapadia, Ex Secretary, WRD, Government of Gujarat) |
| 2. Water Security - Indian Perspective (Yogesh Paithankar, Member (WP&P), Central Water Commission) |
| 3. Achieving India’s water security through MCAD Program (Anuj Kanwal, Commissioner (CADWM), MoJS) |
| 4. Balancing WFE Nexus: Policy prescriptions for Sustainable Management (Yugal Joshi, Programme Director, NITI Aayog) |
| 5. Harmonising Synergies of Water-Energy-Food Nexus for Sustainable Water Management (Alok K. Sikka, Country Representative – India & Bangladesh, IWMI) |
| 6. Managing Water, Land, Energy and Food Nexus for Sustainable Water Resources Management (M. Dinesh Kumar, Executive Director, IRAP) |
| 7. A Decision Support System Approach for Recommending Best Resource Management Plans for Sustained Agricultural Production from Salt Affected Agricultural Lands and Irrigation Waters (Dr. Ravinder Kaur, Principal Scientist, IARI) |
| 8. India’s Irrigation Needs Under Climate Change (Prof. Vimal Mishra, IIT Gandhinagar) |
| 25 JUNE 2025 (WEDNESDAY) |
| Technical Session 1: Technological developments and scientific innovations in irrigation sector |
| 1. Modernization of Irrigation Systems - Improvements in conveyance efficiency (Amit Kapuria, Sr. G.M, Rungta Steel Limited) |
| 2. Presence and Capabilities of L&T in Irrigation Sector (Devanand S, Head - Large Water Systems, L&T) |
| 3. Cropping pattern based value creation of few major irrigation projects in India (S.P Jadhav, Sr. Vice President, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.) |
| 4. Low Gestation, Least Life Cycle Cost Pumping Stations (Abhinaya J Patel by Chairman & Managing Director, Aqua Machineries Pvt. Ltd.) |
| 5. Jain Logic - Agtech Solutions for Community Irrigation Projects (Abhijit Joshi, Vice President, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.) |
| 6. Solutions For Modernizing Irrigation Canals (Shashidhar Pasupulati / Venkata Kowshik, Rubicon Equipment India Pvt. Ltd.) |
| 7. Subsurface Drip Irrigation with AI based solutions for precise water management in sugarcane (Lalbahadur B. Joshi, Assistant General Manager, Rivulis Irrigation India Private Limited) |
| 8. From Reservoir to Root: Transforming Irrigation with Digital Technologies (Nikhilesh Kumar, Vassar Labs) |
| Technical Session 2: Remote Sensing and Geo-spatial applications in Irrigation Sector |
| 1. Reviving Punjab’s lifelines: restoration of the canal system (Gagandeep Singh Gill, SE, WRD, Punjab) |
| 2. Effectiveness of IoT based smart irrigation system in water conservation: A case study of Bangalore rural district, Karnataka - An Atal Jal Initiative (Dr. Sharath Raj B and Dr. Sheffi Ullah) |
| 3. Application of thermal UAV monitoring for evaluating irrigation efficiency in maize production (Nikolett Éva Kiss, Andrea Szabó, Sándor Kun, Erika Budayné Bódi, László Radócz, János Tamás and Attila Nagy) |
| 4. The Effect of Precision Irrigation on Soil Moisture Dynamics (Sándor Kun, Andrea Szabó, Nikolett Éva Kiss, János Tamás, Attila Nagy) |
| 5. Performance Evaluation of Irrigation System Using RS and GIS – A Case Study of Nepal (Sandeep Kumar Chourasia, Sunil K.C., and Ashish Pandey) |
| 6. Utilizing high-resolution UAV imagery for estimation of soil moisture in hilly agricultural environments (Rotash Kumar, Khemraj Niroula, Aman Karki, Kritika Kothari, Sumit Chaudhary, and Ashish Pandey) |
| 7. Soil health monitoring and improvement technique for sustainable agriculture (Dr. Shivaji Sangle, Dr. Pradeep Bhalage, Ms. Shivani Sangle) |
| 8. Design and Development of an IoT-Enabled Soil Moisture Sensing System for Irrigation Scheduling (Ajit Kumar Nayak, A Sarangi, Sanatan Pradhan, and S.K. Rautaray) |
| 9. Improvement in Irrigation planning and practice (Arvind Kumar, Joint VP & Head (Sales & Marketing), Rungta Mines Ltd.) |
| Technical Session 3: Inclusive Water Management for Sustainable Irrigation Development |
| 1. Bihar’s Initiatives Towards Inclusive Water Management for Sustainable Irrigation Development (Awdhesh Kumar Sinha, SE, WRD, Bihar, Amrendra Kumar, SE, WRD, Bihar and Peasant Kumar, SE, WRD, Bihar) |
| 2. Need for Inclusive Water Resources Management for Successful Irrigation Development (Dr. Rajendra Poddar, Former Director, WALMI Dharwad, Karnataka) |
| 3. Land Drainage Elusive in the Development of Irrigation Infrastructure (Dr. Man Singh, Former Project Director, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi) |
| 4. Maharashtra Initiatives towards inclusive Water Resources Management (Dr. Sanjay Belsare, Secretary, Command Area Development, and Rajesh Gowardhane, SE, WRD, Maharashtra) |
| 5. Inclusive and Equitable Water Management through Farmer led Water User Cooperative Society (WUCS) Practices (Ravi Kumar, Secretary, WUCS, Kage Kodamagge, Gondi Project, Karnataka) |
| 6. Modernisation and advancements in technology for irrigation services (Dr. Shivaji Sangle, Former Member, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA)) |
| 7. WSAFE-NBS Phytoecoremediation: A Nature-Based Solution for Disease, Pest and Weather Resilient Farming (Atul Mohan, Co-Founder, WSAFE Sustainability Services Pvt Ltd.) |
| 8. Lift irrigation – Re-Engineering of Irrigation Projects in Telangana State (Dr. M.K Sinha, Former Chairman, Godavari River Management Board & Central Water Commission) |
| Technical Session 4: Climate-Smart Irrigation and Agricultural Practices |
| 1. Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building of Water Users Cooperative Societies in Gondi & Vijayanagara Channels under KISWRMIP assisted by ADB (Rajesh Amminabhavi, MD, KNNL, GoK and Doraiswamy R. Team Leader, KISWRIMP) |
| 2. Water Use Efficiency Enhancement through SCADA-Enabled Pressurized Irrigation Networks from Reservoir to Farm (Vikas Rajoria, APD cum Administrator & Shubhankar Biswas, APD, PMU, MPWRD) |
| 3. Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition Project (HPSHIVA) (Dr. Rajeshwar Parmar, Deputy Project Director, Dept. of Horticulture, HPSHIVA) |
| 4. Implementation of a Decision Support System (DSS) in the Vennar Sub-basin, Cauvery Delta Project (R. Thayalakumar, PD cum Chief Engineer, WRD, Trichy and Srivinas Rao, DSS Expert, Canarys Ltd.) |
| 5. Climate Smart Irrigation Management Solutions (Milind Murudkar, Managing Director, Saisanket) |
| • Message from Ms. Cristina Clemente Martinez, DG, Irrigation Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Spain – Virtual Participation |
About the Summit
The irrigation sector is the biggest stakeholder of freshwater resources, consuming more than 75% of fresh water in almost all developing countries. Irrigation has played a vital role in driving economic growth and improving livelihoods in rural areas. In many developing countries, irrigation systems have provided a lifeline for smallholder farmers, enabling them to achieve food security and increase their income levels. However, this sector faces significant challenges such as water scarcity, climate change, and environmental degradation, which are pressing issues that threaten the sustainability of irrigation practices. The over-extraction of groundwater and inefficient water use has raised concerns about the long-term viability of irrigation. Over use of water by the irrigation sector leaves little for other sectors, raising water security concerns.
Significant transformations have occurred in irrigation in the last two decades, especially in many developing countries where irrigation has remained central to agricultural productivity and rural development. The past two decades have witnessed remarkable innovations in irrigation technology, from introducing drip and sprinkler systems to adopting precision agriculture. These advancements have revolutionized water management leading to enhanced crop yields and resource efficiency. Moreover, the development of community-based irrigation schemes has fostered social cohesion and empowerment. Despite these achievements, challenges of unequal, inefficient & over-use of water, low water productivity, and poor drainage causing waterlogging and salinity coupled with vagaries of climate change are to be addressed.
Effective policy and governance are paramount to addressing challenges in the irrigation sector. Governments in many countries have been working towards integrated water resource management and promoting sustainable irrigation practices. However, the implementation of these policies often encounters hurdles such as limited financial resources and institutional capacity. As we contemplate the future of irrigation, it is essential to consider a holistic approach that balances technological innovation, environmental stewardship, and socio-economic development. Collaborative efforts between governments, private sector, and local communities are key to achieving sustainable irrigation systems. While the challenges are substantial, the potential for innovation and growth in the irrigation sector is immense. Together, we can ensure that irrigation continues to be a vital component of agricultural development and food security.
The Indo-Global Irrigation Summit 2025 is being organized by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations under the aegis of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, bringing together global leaders in water management, irrigation experts, and representatives from international and national financing agencies and governments. The main theme of the Summit is “Best Irrigation Practices for Water and Food Security”. The upcoming Irrigation Summit 2025 will be held in New Delhi, India from 24-25 June 2025.
The Summit features exchanges on the latest irrigation policies, practices, innovations, and technologies; the development of interdisciplinary proposals; collaboration among various institutions and organizations; and advocacy for political commitments. It also provides an excellent platform for professionals to showcase their peer-reviewed work to experts in agricultural water management.
Programme
In Indo-Global Irrigation Summit, National and International professionals and experts, policy-maker, technocrats, bureaucrats, researchers, and academician, etc. will participate. The programme of the Summit will include:
- Keynote lectures from experts
- Selected technical papers presentations
- Central and State Govt. Policy Maker’s meet
- Exhibition and presentations of latest tool and technology for best irrigation practices.
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