- The EIB’s development arm is lending the Indian government $191 million to improve water and sewerage systems in the fast-growing state of Uttarakhand.
- This is the first EIB operation fully dedicated to India’s water sector.
- The project will benefit around 900 000 people including poor households.
EIB Global, the European Investment Bank’s development arm, is lending the Indian government $191 million to upgrade and expand water infrastructure in the northern state of Uttarakhand. The project is the first of its kind for EIB Global in India and covers water supply and sanitation in Uttarakhand, which is undergoing rapid growth in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.
The EIB Global loan will go towards planned improvements in critical water and sanitation infrastructure and will include continuous monitoring to reduce water leaks, automatic meter reading, greater plant automation, real-time remote data collection and new connections for underserved communities. Around 900 000 people in Uttarakhand will benefit from the works, which are due to be completed over the next five years. EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer announced the loan agreement today.
“Improved clean water supply and sanitation systems in Uttarakhand will positively impact the quality of public health. Modern wastewater treatment, leakage reduction and more efficient water supply will benefit poor households,” said EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer.
The EIB’s first-ever involvement in India’s water sector advances the European Union’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda, which aims to strengthen key infrastructure worldwide.
The EIB Global support will extend to water and sewerage connections in Uttarakhand for poor households, where women and girls tend to have relatively high care responsibilities for family members who become ill as a result of intermittent supply and poor sanitation services.
Background information
About EIB Global:
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of the Global Gateway. It aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 – around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices across the world. Photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.
About EIB Global in India:
The EIB is the largest multilateral public bank in the world. In 2024 it financed around €8.4 billion in investments outside the European Union via EIB Global, the arm of the EIB created in 2022 for activities beyond Europe. Since the beginning of its operations in India in 1993, the EIB has supported more than 100 projects in the country, investing €5.6 billion in transport and energy projects as well as India’s small and medium enterprises and mid-caps.
About the Global Gateway Investment Agenda:
EIB Global is a key partner in the implementation of the European Union’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda, supporting sound projects that improve global and regional connectivity in the digital, climate, transport, health, energy and education sectors. Investing in connectivity is at the very heart of what EIB Global does, building on the Bank’s 65 years of experience in this domain. Alongside our partners, fellow EU institutions and Member States, we aim to support €100 billion of investment (around one-third of the overall budget of the initiative) by the end of 2027, including in India and Asia.