CDD Society

What CDD Society does

CDD Society is a Bengaluru-based non-profit organization founded in 2005 that designs, builds, and operates decentralized, nature-based water and sanitation infrastructure across India. Its work spans six thematic areas — Used Water Management, Faecal Sludge Management, Water Body Rejuvenation, Solid Waste Management, Water Security, and Urban Resilience — with a core technology stack anchored on Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS), Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTP), Floating Treatment Wetlands, Anaerobic Stabilization Systems, and Planted and Unplanted Drying Beds. These systems rely on biological and ecological processes rather than energy-intensive electromechanical treatment, targeting smaller municipalities, peri-urban areas, and institutions unsuited to large centralized STPs.

The organization's primary customers are Indian municipal governments and local authorities, with named engagements including Devanahalli Municipality, Alappuzha Municipality, and the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA). It also serves institutional clients such as Aravind Eye Hospital and Harvest International School, indicating a secondary private-segment pipeline. Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed, but the operating model is consistent with Indian environmental NGOs: project-based government contracts, grants, and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funding, supplemented by institutional deployments. Two publicly verifiable validation events — Devanahalli FSTP being endorsed by India's Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Alappuzha's sanitation profile contributing to its Swachh Survekshan 2019 recognition — function as de facto reference credentials for future municipal bids.

The organization operates with an estimated 51–100 employees and is led by a formal executive team including CEO Harsh Vardhan and CFO Jitender Kushwah. The organization also claims a global footprint alongside its India-centric operations, though concrete international program evidence is not visible in the available data. No patents, funding rounds, or audited revenue figures are disclosed, leaving financial scale inferable only from headcount and peer benchmarks.

Name

CDD Society

Legal name

CDD India

Website

https://cddindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CDD Society is a Bengaluru-based non-profit founded in 2005 that designs and operates decentralized, nature-based water and sanitation infrastructure for Indian municipalities and institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non‑Potable Reuse Utilities (Irrigation, Industrial, Cooling) (EUANAGAA)

Keywords

• Decentralized wastewater treatment
• Nature-based sanitation
• Faecal sludge management
• Water body rejuvenation
• Environmental engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project Implementation: Implementation of decentralized water, sanitation, and environmental management projects for government bodies, municipalities, and institutional clients
2. Applied Research and Development: Research and development of nature-based solutions for water and sanitation, including pilot projects and demonstration sites
3. Capacity Building and Training: Training programs, workshops, and knowledge dissemination to equip individuals and communities with skills for sustainable water management
4. Technical Consulting: Advisory services for sanitation investment planning, policy development, and integrated environmental management

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CDD India designs and implements decentralized, nature-based water and sanitation solutions for municipalities, government bodies, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and industrial clients. Its core offerings include DEWATS (Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems), Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs), floating treatment wetlands, and water body rejuvenation services, delivered alongside applied research, technical consulting, and capacity-building programs.

Product overview

CDD India is a non-profit organization that operates as a portfolio of environmental engineering services and nature-based solutions rather than a unified software product. The core offerings span six thematic service areas: Used Water Management, Faecal Sludge Management, Water Body Rejuvenation, Solid Waste Management, Water Security, and Urban Resilience. The technical foundation is DEWATS (Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems) and FSTP (Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants) technologies, supplemented by capacity building and training programs. The organization follows an Innovate-Demonstrate-Mainstream approach, testing solutions at pilot sites before demonstrating and scaling them. CDD India also produces publications, factsheets, and technical documentation covering treatment technologies, case studies, and research findings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Water Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Devanahalli FSTP praised by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ministry of Drinking Water and SanitationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDD India's Devanahalli FSTP received praise from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, indicating a key government partnership for urban sanitation initiatives

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Water.org: Global non-profit focused on water access and sanitation finance in developing countries including India — comparable mission, financing mechanisms, and reliance on local partners for implementation.
• Centre for Science and Environment (CSE): India-based environmental research and advocacy organization working on water, waste, and urban resilience — comparable in publishing, policy engagement, and thematic breadth.
• Arghyam: Indian philanthropic foundation focused on water and sanitation, funding and implementing decentralized solutions across India — directly comparable mission, geography, and stakeholder set.
• BORDA (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association): German-headquartered NGO that pioneered and disseminated DEWATS technology globally. Directly comparable as the originator of CDD's core decentralized wastewater approach and operates across the Global South including India.
• WaterAid India: India arm of global water and sanitation NGO, operating in similar thematic areas (water security, sanitation, FSM) and engaging with the same municipal and government stakeholders in India.

Broad incumbents

• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions India: Multinational water and waste management services provider with Indian municipal and industrial contracts — overlapping end-market but typically delivers centralized, capital-intensive solutions.
• Xylem India: Global water technology major with significant India presence across municipal water and wastewater; comparable customer base but operates at far greater scale with capital-intensive centralized solutions.
• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): Larger, established Indian research institution with broad environmental portfolio including water and sanitation; comparable in advocacy, applied research, and government engagement, but at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• SANA (Society for New Awareness): Indian non-profit working on urban sanitation, including FSM and decentralized wastewater — directly comparable in scale, mission, and government engagement.
• Biome Environmental Solutions: Private environmental services company using bioremediation and nature-based approaches for water and wastewater in India and the Middle East — comparable technology philosophy and decentralized service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CDDSocietyIndia
• Xx.com/cddsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CDD Society