For its Alwar distillery in Rajasthan, Diageo India, received the esteemed Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) accreditation. It is the first distillery of spirits in Asia to obtain the highly sought-after AWS accreditation. Farms, factories, and other water-using facilities can use the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard (AWS Standard) as a sustainability framework to take believable, verifiable actions to safeguard water resources. At the scale of a catchment, the AWS Standard is designed to promote social, environmental, and economic advantages.

The brand’s Alwar site has achieved this by understanding shared catchment water challenges including water risks and opportunities while addressing these challenges in a way that progressively resulted in five outcomes, namely good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, important water-related areas, safe water sanitation and hygiene for all (WASH).

This fundamental AWS certification is evidence of Diageo India’s forward-thinking water stewardship efforts in the water-scarce Alwar area.

Aligned to Diageo’s ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ ESG action plan, the company has undertaken initiatives in Alwar such as reducing water use in its operations, replenishing over 37000 cubic meters of water, improving access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in communities, reaching out to more than 200 households, constructing check dams on the Ruparail river under collective action to improve the availability of water for productive use and groundwater recharge.

Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO, Diageo India said, “This certification is a global benchmark for water stewardship and is a recognition of our sustainable water management practices in Alwar, Rajasthan. We are proud to be the first beverage alcohol company in India to get this certification, and it further strengthens our commitment to finding innovative solutions to the pressing water concerns in India under our Society 2030 agenda.”

In a recent industry-first water stewardship project, Diageo India stepped up its water conservation efforts in Alwar in collaboration with the leader in renewable water technology, SOURCE Global, PBC. SOURCE Global, the technology collaborator, is constructing a 200-panel water farm that will produce 9,000 liters of water from air in the first six months. The endeavour will save groundwater by utilising SOURCE® to draw clean, continuously refilled water from the sky. The first beverage alcohol brand to use SOURCE® water is Godawan, an artisanal single malt whisky made by Diageo India in the hot and dry Alwar area of Rajasthan.

Adrian Sym, CEO, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) said, “Water stewardship identifies and tackles the complex challenges of sustainable water use. The AWS Standard and certification provides a pathway for water stewardship, and can be used by any business, in any industry around the world. Through the AWS certification of their Alwar distillery in Rajasthan, Diageo India has set an example for the beverage and other industries in taking credible, verifiable corporate action on water. As the third site in India to achieve AWS certification, they are one of the very early adopters of the AWS Standard in India among more than 250 AWS certified sites globally.”