What Central Ground Water Board does

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is the statutory apex agency of India's Ministry of Jal Shakti responsible for groundwater assessment, monitoring, regulation, and management at a national scale. It operates a network of 15,640 observation wells, evaluates 5,723 assessment units, and coordinates work through 18 regional offices, 17 divisional offices, and 11 state unit offices. Its mandate covers aquifer mapping (NAQUIM), water quality monitoring, springshed management, and issuance of No Objection Certificates (NoC) for groundwater extraction to industries and infrastructure projects via the NOCAP portal, with regulatory authority exercised through the Central Ground Water Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

CGWB's core products are digital platforms and reports rather than commercial goods. These include the India Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES), AIMS, NOCAP, the National Compilation and Annual Water Quality Report series, the NAQUIM 2.0 Guidebook, and Springshed Management SOPs. Underlying methodology combines hydrogeological mapping, exploratory drilling, geophysical surveys, geochemical analysis, and remote-sensing inputs from SAC-ISRO. In late 2025 it formalized umbrella MoUs with GSI (for contaminant and geogenic studies, October 7, 2025), ICAR (for agricultural water management, October 15, 2025), and SAC-ISRO (for remote sensing), consolidating a multi-agency scientific ecosystem.

The business model is government-funded rather than commercial. As a statutory body, CGWB is financed through the Union Budget demand for grants under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and does not generate commercial revenue. Its primary "customers" are the Government of India, state groundwater directorates, industrial NoC applicants, researchers, and the general public. Stakeholder economics are defined by regulatory authority, scientific output, and policy advice rather than by pricing, ARR, or unit economics.

Name

Central Ground Water Board

Legal name

Central Ground Water Board

Website

https://cgwb.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Central Ground Water Board is India's apex statutory agency under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, operating a pan-India network of observation wells and regional offices to assess, monitor, and regulate groundwater resources for the Government of India, state agencies, and industrial NoC applicants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Groundwater Resource Management Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance Monitoring & Reporting (SDWA/CWA/NPDES, permits, audits) (EUANAJAA), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Wastewater & Industrial Effluent Monitoring (NPDES/Permit Compliance) (EUAHACAD)

Keywords

• Groundwater resource management
• Aquifer mapping services
• Hydrogeological survey
• Groundwater regulatory authority
• Water quality monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Faridabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CGWB is the apex Government of India organization responsible for the scientific and sustainable development and management of India's groundwater resources. Its core offerings include nationwide groundwater monitoring through 15,640 observation wells, aquifer mapping via the NAQUIM programme, groundwater resource assessment through the IN-GRES system, regulatory oversight through the affiliated Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), issuance of No Objection Certificates for groundwater extraction, exploratory drilling and geophysical studies, water quality monitoring, and technical advisory services to central and state government entities.

Product overview

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) operates a multi-platform digital ecosystem for India's groundwater management, comprising several interconnected web portals and information systems. The core infrastructure includes IN-GRES for nationwide groundwater resource assessment, AIMS for aquifer mapping and management planning, and NOCAP for the No Objection Certificate application process regulated by CGWA. Supporting systems include FEMES for monitoring field activities, PURAE for technical publications, and the Citizens Portal (C-Port) for public engagement. The Board also publishes the quarterly journal Bhujal Samvad and partners with external platforms like India's WRIS. CGWB conducts extensive monitoring through approximately 15,640 observation wells, manages exploratory drilling and geophysical studies, and operates the Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute. The Atal Bhujal Yojana enables participatory groundwater management at community level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IN-GRES (India Groundwater Resource Assessment System): A unified GIS-based system for assessment and dissemination of groundwater resources assessment results including recharge, extraction, classification
• AIMS (Aquifer Information and Management System)
• NOCAP (NOC Application Portal)
• CGWB FAMES (Field Activities Monitoring and Evaluation System)
• CGWB PURE (Publications Repository)

Products and services

• IN-GRES (India Ground Water Resource Assessment System)
• AIMS (Aquifer Information and Management System)
• NOCAP (NOC Application Portal)
• National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM)
• Ground Water Level Monitoring Service
• Ground Water Quality Assessment
• Ground Water Exploration Services
• Ground Water Modeling
• Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute (RGNGWTRI)
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (Participatory Ground Water Management)

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% of monitored wells recorded rise in groundwater levels in 2025 post-monsoon period compared to decadal mean
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025MoU for collaborative studies on groundwater management, particularly focusing on agricultural water usage and sustainable groundwater practices in farming regions.
• Geological Survey of India (GSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Umbrella MoU signed for collaborative study on Uranium, Lead, Arsenic, Fluoride, Mercury, and other contaminants in groundwater. The partnership aims to address severe groundwater contamination issues identified across India, including 13-15% of Delhi's groundwater samples exceeding permissible uranium limits.
• SAC-ISRO (Space Applications Centre - Indian Space Research Organisation)coreTechnology or IntegrationMoU for collaboration on groundwater monitoring, assessment and management using satellite data and remote sensing technologies for improved aquifer mapping and water level monitoring.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC): Operates India-WRIS, the unified water resources information system. NWIC is the data-platform counterpart within the same ministry ecosystem, complementing CGWB's IN-GRES and AIMS systems.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Statutory regulator under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, overseeing water and air quality standards. CPCB and CGWB share a regulatory lineage and collaborate on pollution control in groundwater and surface water bodies.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS): International functional equivalent operating the U.S. national groundwater monitoring network. USGS provides the closest global benchmark for CGWB in scale, mandate, and observation-well network design.
• Central Water Commission (CWC): India's apex body for surface water resources under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. CGWB is the groundwater counterpart to CWC; both share parent ministry oversight and joint responsibility for national water resource planning.

Broad incumbents

• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company offering smart metering, network monitoring, and analytics. Xylem represents the private-sector innovation frontier that CGWB's digital modernization efforts aim to match through IN-GRES and ISRO partnerships.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water services and technology provider. SUEZ's water quality monitoring and treatment capabilities are a private-sector benchmark for the operational scale CGWB aims to enable at the national level.

Emerging players

• Geological Survey of India (GSI): National geoscientific agency with which CGWB has an umbrella MoU (Oct 2025) for joint contaminant studies. GSI's geological and geophysical capabilities overlap with CGWB's aquifer mapping and exploration mandates.
• SAC-ISRO (Space Applications Centre): ISRO arm for satellite-based earth observation. CGWB-SAC-ISRO MoU makes it a strategic technology partner; SAC's remote sensing capabilities augment CGWB's aquifer mapping and water level monitoring.

Others

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): National standards body whose drinking water specifications align with CGWB's quality monitoring framework. BIS and CGWB jointly shape groundwater and drinking water benchmarks in India.

Regional players

• India Meteorological Department (IMD): National agency for weather and climate data. IMD's rainfall and recharge data feed directly into CGWB's groundwater assessment models, making it a critical upstream data partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cgwb_chq
• Facebookfacebook.com/cgwb.chq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-ground-water-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Central Ground Water Board