Scottish technology to improve India’s clean water supply and healthcare sector

Scottish technology companies Dryden Aqua and this-tel have signed strategic agreements today with Indian firms that will help improve the supply of clean drinking water across India as well improve patient care in Indian hospitals.

Edinburgh-based Dryden Aqua will work with Indian firm SVS Aqua to deploy its innovative water cleaning technology across remote parts of India, where more than 250 million people are exposed to water that is not in compliance with WHO World Health Standards.

Dryden Aqua’s Activated Filter Media is already being used in Bangladesh and some parts of India for drinking water as well as waste water and industrial applications. It will now work with SVS Aqua on the new Eco-India project, co funded by the European Commission and the Indian Department of Science and Technology, which will see its technology systems deployed at pilot sites in arsenic-affected water-stressed regions in India.

The news comes at the same time as Perthshire-based company this-tel enters into a new distribution agreement with Indian-based IT company Crane Global Solutions Ltd for its digital pen and forms products which scan information written by the user and transmits it to a central server. The technology will initially be sold into the Indian healthcare sector following a successful trial of 50 pens being used in a cancer hospital in Hyderabad. The contract will generate an additional £4.6 million of additional sales for the Scottish company and allow it to expand into the fast growing Indian market.

Scotland’s Minister for External Affairs & International Development Humza Yousaf met with both SVS Aqua and Crane Global Solutions in Mumbai today as part of a wider visit to India to develop trade and business links between the two countries.

Mr Yousaf said: “The partnerships signed today highlight that Scotland is a nation which embraces and promotes innovation and builds our reputation as a country at the leading edge of technology, development and research.

“We want to strengthen our relationship with India and these new partnerships will benefit both countries, by enhancing research and development opportunities, promoting business and paving the way for further trade and co-operation with the world’s second most populated country.

“I warmly welcome the new commitments to share knowledge, expertise and skills and bring Scottish technology to more people across India.”

Both agreements have been facilitated by Scottish Development International, the international arm of Scottish Enterprise.

Rooma Bussi, India Country Manager, Scottish Development International said: “The agreements signed today in India are excellent examples of how we are partnering with Indian companies to facilitate opportunities for Scottish companies to enter the market.

“We have also been witnessing a tremendous increase in business and collaboration opportunities across knowledge-based sectors in India, including life sciences, education and ICT. From our three offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad we continue to work with Indian and Scottish companies to support economic growth.”

Commenting on the agreement with SVS Aqua, Professor Howard Dryden said: “We are delighted to be working with SVS. Both companies want to deliver clean water for both people and for the environment and SVS has already made a strong start with their existing client base.

“It makes all the difference when you can work with people who have the same mindset and everyone at Dryden Aqua is looking forward to supporting SVS in their endeavours over the coming months and years."

SVS Aqua’s Nikunj Shah added: “We are delighted to sign this contract which we hope will result in a solution to drinking water quality problems in India in relation to arsenic, fluoride and other toxins such as chromium and cyanide.

“We will also be working on waste water systems to try and reduce the amount of aquatic environmental pollution from industries such as the tanning and textile industries.”

Welcoming the partnership with Crane Global Solutions, Mr Stephen Forsyth, Chief Executive Officer at this-tel, said: “This unique partnership will put India at the leading for edge of world e-health technology, allowing patient participation at every level and ensuring accurate clinical analysis, which is distributed to decision makers and e-health experts globally in seconds.

“The potential health care advantages to both urban and remote rural communities of India are not only enormous but life changing.”

Mr K Raghava Ram, Director of Crane Global Solutions Limited added: “The partnership between CGSL and this-tel will revolutionise the way data is captured, aggregated and reported in critical programs being delivered across India.

“The complementary strengths of both of the organisations in terms of applications, business intelligence and mobility coupled with the unique digital writing solution will help our clients to deliver key services to existing and new communities."