IFAT India 2025 concludes with record global participation and strong sustainability momentum

The 12th edition of IFAT India, the country’s largest trade fair for water, sewage, solid waste, and recycling solutions, concluded in Mumbai after three dynamic days of business, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration.

Mumbai, October 17, 2025: The 12th edition of IFAT India, the country’s largest trade fair for water, sewage, solid waste, and recycling solutions, concluded in Mumbai after three dynamic days of business, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration. Organised by Messe Muenchen India from October 14–16, 2025, the event recorded an all-time high participation of 18,000+ visitors, 560+ exhibitors from 30+ countries, spread across 45,000+ sqm of exhibition space at the Bombay Exhibition Centre.

The 2025 edition featured 6 international pavilions — from Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, South Korea, Hungary and Australia — underscoring the event’s international significance and reinforcing India’s position as a growth hub for environmental technologies. A variety of special pavilions, such as SWAN, IWA, and the International Waste Pavilion, enriched the comprehensive range of offerings.

The trade fair was inaugurated by Dia Mirza, an award-winning actor, producer, and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, alongside senior dignitaries from municipal corporations, ministries, and international delegations. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dia Mirza said: “Platforms like IFAT India remind us that the climate crisis demands collaboration—not competition. The innovations displayed here can help India transition faster toward clean, circular, and climate-resilient growth.”

Running parallel to the exhibition, the IFAT India Conference featured over 400 speakers across 40+ sessions, curated across five different stages—Blue (Water), Green (Urban & Sanitation), Orange (Waste & Circular Economy), Waste Tech and Water Tech.

At the Blue Stage, sessions led by the German Water Partnership (GWP) and International Water Association (IWA) focused on urban water reuse, membrane innovations, groundwater purification, and resilient water infrastructure. The Orange Stage, hosted with partners such as German RETech Partnership and International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), addressed textile waste circularity, biogas as a climate solution, and organic waste valorisation through anaerobic digestion and co-firing biomass. Meanwhile, the Green Stage, in collaboration with AIILSG and ISWA, featured programs on EPR implementation, urban sanitation strategies, as well as the University Challenge, led by Prof. Dr. Anupam Singh, was organised as an ongoing initiative to keep student-driven innovation in environmental technology alive. Wilo once again sponsored and hosted the award ceremony, where the winning team earned an exclusive opportunity to represent India at IFAT Munich 2026.

There were also two high-impact technical programs — the WasteTech Conference and the WaterTech Conference — featured more than 25 expert-led panel discussions across two days (October 14–15). The WasteTech Conference explored India’s evolving circular economy, with sessions on data-driven enforcement in waste management, legacy waste recovery, plastic circularity, and corporate responsibility for sustainable waste practices. Simultaneously, the WaterTech Conference brought together international and national experts to discuss AMRUT 2.0 and Jal Jeevan Mission outcomes, river rejuvenation, industrial water reuse, and innovative models for circular water management across urban, rural, and industrial sectors.

India’s first-ever "Chief Engineers’ Forum for Swachh Bharat" was officially established by the All India Institute of Local Self-Government (Secretariat of Maharashtra WASH Coalition), Mumbai, in partnership with and supported by Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, through a national inaugural roundtable with Chief Engineers, subject experts, and industry representatives of India at IFAT India 2025. It was jointly launched by Smt. Roopa Mishra, IAS, Joint Secretary, MoHUA & National Mission Director, SBM-U, and Dr. Jairaj Phatak (Retd. IAS), Director General, AIILSG. The Forum signifies a major step toward institutionalizing structured peer learning and techno-policy dialogue among senior municipal engineers across the country.

“IFAT India 2025 truly reflected the spirit of global collaboration,” said Bhupinder Singh, President – IMEA, Messe München and CEO, Messe Muenchen India. “With exhibitors from more than 30 countries and participation of international delegations, pavilions, and speakers, this edition became a melting pot of international expertise and local innovation.“

Katharina Schlegel, Global Industry Lead, IFAT Worldwide, emphasized India’s growing importance as a hub for sustainable technologies and partnerships. “After 12 successful editions in Mumbai, IFAT India has become the country’s largest trade fair for water, sewage, solid waste and recycling technologies, To deepen engagement with policymakers and northern industries, we’re bringing IFAT Delhi from April 22–24, 2026, strengthening our national footprint in sustainability and technology partnerships.”—underscoring India’s role as a hub for sustainable technologies and partnerships.”

The 2025 edition of IFAT India delivered a decisive shift in how environmental technology is showcased and adopted — transforming the exhibition floor into a live ecosystem of innovation, partnerships, and procurement.

Across categories, the focus was unmistakably on scalable, digital, and circular solutions designed to align with India’s fast-evolving regulatory and ESG landscape. IFAT India 2025 served as a launchpad for cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the sustainable industry. Alfa Laval unveiled its SG2-series decanter centrifuges, delivering high-performance separation for ethanol and biofuel dewatering, designed for CBG operations. Fornnax introduced the R-MAX3300, the world’s largest secondary shredder for AFR pre-processing. Ultrafluid Filtration LLP launched the world’s fastest membrane rolling equipment (8040 & 4040). At the same time, Aquatech International (QUA) debuted the FEDI GIGA Q-Connect, a compact, high-flow electro-deionisation system for ultra-pure water. Danfoss India also made a significant impact with the launch of its latest drives featuring Edge Computing Condition-Based Monitoring, advancing intelligent and energy-efficient industrial operations. Together, these unveilings showcased innovation at the heart of India’s green transition.

“The conversations this year were more strategic than ever,” remarked Jignesh Kundaria, Director & CEO, Fornnax Technology - a leading recycling equipment manufacturer. “Buyers came with specific implementation goals, not just curiosity. It’s clear that IFAT India has matured into a results-driven sourcing platform that’s driving real innovation and actionable collaboration across the industry.”

“The Indian water industry is clearly transitioning from capacity creation to sustainability-driven performance,” remarked Gopal Madabhushi, Senior Vice President - South Asia, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions. “The discussions at IFAT India 2025 showed a sharp focus on digital efficiency, resource recovery, and circular processes. Clients are now seeking solutions that enhance reliability, reduce lifecycle costs, and align with their ESG and industry-specific sustainability goals.”

Municipal and industrial visitors agreed that the 2025 edition delivered actionable, investment-ready solutions, rather than conceptual showcases.

Dr. Ravindra Utgikar, Chief Sales Officer, Wilo Mather and Platt Pumps Pvt. Ltd, remarked, “IFAT India 2025 reaffirmed India’s strong focus on sustainable and digital water infrastructure. The discussions around efficiency and resilience align perfectly with Wilo’s mission to deliver smart, energy-efficient water solutions. The event provided excellent opportunities to connect with policymakers and utilities driving water security across the country.”

“The water, wastewater, and solid waste solutions evaluated at IFAT India 2025 perfectly align with our goals of an integrated approach towards holistic water, wastewater and solid waste management”, said Swapnil Desai, Deputy Engineer, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

Building on this record-breaking edition, IFAT Delhi will take place from April 22-24, 2026 and IFAT India 2026 will return to Mumbai from September 9–11, 2026, continuing its mission to accelerate India’s journey toward a greener and more circular economy.