IFAT India 2026 advances technology and partnerships for India’s water and waste infrastructure

IFAT India 2026 concluded at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai after bringing together 20,118 business visitors and more than 500 exhibitors from over 30 countries to address India’s evolving water, wastewater, waste-management and recycling requirements.
Organised by Messe Muenchen India from 9–11 September, the trade fair provided a business and knowledge platform for government agencies, urban local bodies, utilities, industrial users, project developers and technology providers to evaluate solutions, discuss project requirements and build implementation-focused partnerships.

The international presence included six country pavilions representing China, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Norway and the Netherlands. Dedicated SWAN, IWA, ULB, SME and Start-up Pavilions brought together established technology providers, emerging enterprises, municipal authorities, investors, researchers and professional institutions.

Solutions presented across the exhibition addressed water and wastewater treatment, treated-water reuse, digital monitoring, membrane systems, Zero Liquid Discharge, waste collection and sorting, material recovery, recycling, biogas, refuse-derived fuel, waste-to-fuel applications and energy recovery. Among the new products showcased were Fornax’s R-MAX3300 for high-capacity Alternative Fuel and
Raw Material pre-processing; NX Filtration’s compact, scalable Integrated Rack for ultrafiltration systems; Micro Transmission Systems’ Back Rake Screen for removing solid waste from large channels and drains; Fivebro Water Services’ SUMO-TESK range of multistage centrifugal pumps for high-pressure water-treatment applications and Thermax’s Miracle for treating high-TDS water while
increasing water recovery and reducing energy use and operating costs.

Public and private stakeholders focus on project delivery

The Mumbai edition was inaugurated in the presence of Smt. Agnimitra Paul, Hon’ble Minister-in- Charge, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal; Smt. Isha Kalia, IAS, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, NULM and PM SVANidhi, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Shri S. Suresh Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development
Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Senior representatives from state governments, urban local bodies, diplomatic missions, knowledge institutions, professional associations and the environmental technology industry also attended the opening ceremony, reflecting the coordination required to translate infrastructure priorities into viable projects.
The inaugural ceremony also brought together representatives from the All India Institute of Local Self-Government, ASSOCHAM National Water Council, Builders’ Association of India, German Water Partnership, German Recycling Technologies and Waste Management Partnership, GIZ India, International Solid Waste Association, International Water Association, Indian Water Works Association, Material Recycling Association of India, National Solid Waste Association of India, SWAN India Alliance, TERI Centre of Excellence on Water Reuse, KPMG in India and IFAT Worldwide. Their participation reflected the cross-sector coordination required to translate India’s
environmental infrastructure priorities into viable projects.
IFAT India will return to Mumbai from 29 September to 1 October 2027, bringing the environmental technology community together to develop solutions and partnerships across India’s water, wastewater, waste-management, recycling and circular-economy sectors.