Hindustan Unilever has developed Pureit, a low cost water purifier (Rs. 2,200)
that supplies water that is as safe as boiled water, does not require running.
PROJECT PROFILE // INDIA
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) Low-cost water purifier for poor consumers Hindustan Unilever has developed Pureit, a low cost water purifier (Rs. 2,200) that supplies water that is as safe as boiled water, does not require running water or electricity, and has an auto shut off mechanism that blocks the flow of water when it is no longer fit to drink.
PROJECT AT A GLANCE Country
India
Sector
Retail, manufacturing & consumer goods
Partners Low-income Consumers & clients focus Revenue model
Sales of low-cost water devices
Further information
www.pureitwater.com
Project status
Complete
Key themes
Last mile distribution; partnerships
Existing community facility, Kadiri The inclusive business initiative HUL is the current volume leader in India in terms of table- top water purification devices with over 7 million sold since 2008. HUL now seeks to enable more urban and rural poor families obtain a Pureit device. Distribution of this product is forecast to reach six thousand people in the one year pilot phase and one million people per year once the pilot is scaled up.
reduce the spread of water-borne diseases and decrease the amount of working hours lost to illness. According to HUL, research has found that every one thousand water purification devices installed leads to an avoidance of one thousand five hundred cases of childhood diarrhoea and the avoidance of the death of one child every year. It will also benefit local entrepreneurs and promote the spread of information on microfinance institutions as ways to develop poor areas..
Commercial drivers Through partnerships with MFIs, rural outreach organisations, co-operative societies and federations, HUL aims to make safe drinking water available and affordable to five hundred million people by 2020. Pilot programmes have shown that such initiatives prove profitable for both HUL and MFIs, making these partnerships commercially viable for each partner. Development impacts The project will benefit the urban and rural poor by increasing their access to safe drinking water. In turn, this will
“Every one thousand water purification devices installed lead to an avoidance of one thousand five hundred cases of childhood diarrhoea and the avoidance of the death of one child every year.” Objectives of Facility engagement (May 2012) Facility support aims to create commercially viable distribution models in which HUL can partner with MFIs and non-MFI channels to distribute Pureit to untapped markets.
PROJECT PROFILE // INDIA
Hindustan Unilever
Project update:
Pureit water purifier
About the purifier
Myrada Board meeting, Andra Pradesh
PROJECT CONTACT DETAILS Facility Contact Nisha Dutt, India Country Manager,
[email protected]
To find out more about projects supported by the Business Innovation Facility, visit the Practitioner Hub on Inclusive Business: www.businessinnovationfacility.org The Business Innovation Facility (BIF) is a pilot project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). It is managed for DFID by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in alliance with the International Business Leaders Forum and Accenture Development Partnerships. It works in collaboration with Imani Development, Intellecap, Renaissance Consultants Ltd, The Convention on Business Integrity and Challenges Worldwide. The views presented in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of BIF, its managers, funders or project partners and does not constitute professional advice. We welcome feedback on our publications – please contact us at
[email protected]
Version 2 | July 2013
HUL Contact Deepak Saksena, Head of Partnerships, Water Business:
[email protected]
