Anurag Bajpayee and the Quiet Revolution in Water

In the industrial corridors of South Asia, where the air is thick with the hum of machinery and the scent of progress, factories churn out semiconductors and pharmaceuticals—products emblematic of modern advancement.

Yet, beneath this veneer of industrial prowess lies a less heralded, yet critical, component: water. Each microchip etched and every pill pressed demands vast quantities of this increasingly scarce resource.

Globally, water scarcity has transitioned from a distant concern to an immediate crisis. Regions from California’s agricultural heartlands to China’s manufacturing hubs grapple with dwindling water supplies, threatening both economies and ecosystems. Despite its fundamental importance, water often remains undervalued in industrial contexts. As Anurag Bajpayee, CEO and co-founder of Gradiant, observes, “Water is our most precious resource… so essential, so critical to our existence, yet, traditionally, water has been so underserved by innovation, and by ambition.”

Anurag Bajpayee’s journey from academic researcher to industry innovator began with an early fascination with science and engineering and led him to graduate research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was at MIT that Bajpayee co-developed Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE), a desalination technique inspired by natural evaporation-condensation cycles, offering a more energy-efficient approach to water purification.

In 2013, Anurag Bajpayee, alongside fellow researcher Prakash Govindan, founded Gradiant with the vision of translating laboratory innovations into practical industrial solutions. Headquartered in Boston, Gradiant has expanded its footprint globally, designing and operating treatment facilities that address challenges such as water scarcity, regulatory compliance, and environmental impact. The company’s technologies are now deployed in over 2,500 facilities across 25 countries.

Central to Gradiant’s success is its suite of proprietary technologies:

Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE): This desalination process mimics natural rain cycles to recover water with high efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
Selective Contaminant Extraction (SCE): A platform that isolates specific pollutants from industrial effluents, facilitating targeted treatment and potential resource recovery.
RO Infinity (CFRO): An advanced reverse osmosis system designed to enhance water recovery rates in high-salinity conditions, often surpassing the limitations of conventional methods.

These innovations have been instrumental in sectors ranging from semiconductors to textiles, enabling industries to recycle wastewater and reduce reliance on freshwater sources. For instance, in drought-prone regions like Texas, Gradiant’s solutions have allowed semiconductor manufacturing plants to reuse water, mitigating the impact of water shortages.

Gradiant’s impact has not gone unnoticed. In 2019, Anurag Bajpayee was named to MIT Technology Review’s list of Innovators Under 35, recognizing his contributions to water treatment technologies. More recently, the company achieved “unicorn” status, securing $225 million in a Series D funding round and reaching a valuation of $1 billion.

Despite these accolades, Bajpayee remains grounded in the mission that sparked Gradiant’s inception. He emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in how industries perceive water—not as an expendable commodity, but as a strategic asset requiring careful stewardship. “If you think about it, ever since the industrial revolution, we’ve just been taking water from nature,” he reflects. “The thought that, by doing what we do, we can turn the clock back and give nature water back, that’s the kind of stuff that sends chills down our spines and really motivates us to do what we do.”

As climate change intensifies and water scarcity becomes an even more pressing issue, the work of innovators like Anurag Bajpayee and companies like Gradiant offers a beacon of hope. Through a blend of technological ingenuity and a commitment to sustainability, they are not only addressing current water challenges but also paving the way for a more resilient and water-conscious industrial future.