Boon Revolutionizes Drinking Water with IoT-Enabled Sustainable Purifiers
Did you know that the average person consumes about one credit card worth of plastic every week? This staggering reality, fueled by microplastic leaching from bottled water and environmental runoff, is the driving force behind Boon (formerly Swajal). By merging advanced IoT technology with a circular economy model, Boon is on a mission to make clean drinking water both equitable and sustainable.
Founder Advait Kumar, an electrical engineer who traded a high-flying career at JP Morgan in the US for the "Swadesh" movement in India, is reimagining how we access water—from rural railway stations to luxury boardroom tables. Through Boon's proprietary Clairvoyant platform, the company is tackling the inefficiencies of traditional purifiers and the environmental disaster of single-use plastics.
The Crisis of Plastic and Inefficiency
The drinking water market in India is dominated by two paradigms: the home RO purifier and the single-use plastic bottle. Both, according to Kumar, are deeply flawed.
The Microplastic Threat
Recent studies show that microplastics disintegrate when exposed to UV light, leaching into our water. "We're consuming about 3.5 grams of plastic every single week," Kumar warns. "This could be our 'asbestos or cigarette' moment—a common practice we later find has devastating health consequences."
Beyond health, the business model of traditional purifiers mirrors the predatory logic of the old DVD rental market. "Think about Netflix vs. Blockbuster. Blockbuster made more revenue from penalties and late fees. Similarly, traditional purifiers in India make more money from service than the product," Kumar explains. This leads to high maintenance costs and massive water wastage, often stripping essential minerals from the water in the process.
The Solution: Clairvoyant IoT Platform
Boon's edge lies in its Clairvoyant IoT platform. Instead of a "one-size-fits-all" approach, Boon recognizes that water quality varies drastically across India—sometimes even between neighboring streets in cities like Bangalore.
How Boon's Technology Works
- Real-time Monitoring: Sensors track water quality and machine performance continuously.
- Predictive Maintenance: The platform predicts when filters need changing, reducing downtime and service costs.
- Contextual Purification: Systems are adjusted based on the specific mineral profile of the local water source.
- Circular Economy: In hotels and offices, Boon replaces plastic with reusable glass bottles filled on-site.
This tech-first approach allows Boon to operate efficiently at both ends of the economic pyramid. They pioneered Water ATMs—trademarked by them—which provide affordable water in rural villages and railway stations. Simultaneously, they provide high-end glass bottling plants for five-star hotels to eliminate thousands of plastic bottles daily.
The "Swadesh" Moment: From JP Morgan to Drinking Water
Advait's journey began with the trauma of the H1B visa lottery. Despite a stable career in the US, the constant stress of immigration status led him to a realization. "I didn't want to live my life on the basis of a lottery," he reflects. This spark, combined with a desire to contribute to his home country, led him back to India.
Coming back wasn't without its culture shocks. "The US is a very egalitarian society... India is a very top-down hierarchical society," Kumar notes. He faced resistance when trying to implement a flat, cabin-less startup culture with senior hires. Navigating these regional and cultural nuances became a core part of his entrepreneurial education.
— Advait Kumar, Founder, Boon
Impact and Future Vision
Boon's impact is double-edged: social and environmental. By providing "blessings" (the meaning behind the name Boon) in the form of clean water to villages and reducing the carbon footprint of transportation and plastic manufacturing for the elite, they are building a truly equitable water future.
Advait emphasizes that the journey is one of constant learning. "You should keep on reading, learning, and listening to podcasts. You never know which dot you will connect," he advises. For Boon, the next step is continuing to disrupt the service-heavy legacy models and ensuring that sustainable water isn't a luxury, but a standard.
About the Guest
Advait Kumar is the Founder of Boon (formerly Swajal), a leading water-tech startup. An alumnus of Penn State University with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics, he previously worked at JP Morgan in New York. Advait is a pioneer in the "Water ATM" space and is recognized for using IoT to solve large-scale environmental and social challenges. His work has been instrumental in reducing plastic waste across the hospitality industry and providing clean water to millions in underserved regions.