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Evolution of the Wastewater Industry in India

India’s journey in wastewater management reflects its broader socio-economic evolution, transitioning from traditional practices to the adoption of advanced technologies. This progression underscores the nation’s commitment to sustainable development and public health.

Early Practices and Challenges

Historically, India’s wastewater management relied on natural systems. Communities utilized wetlands, ponds, and rivers for waste disposal, leveraging the environment’s innate capacity to assimilate and treat waste. However, with rapid urbanization and population growth, these natural systems became overwhelmed, leading to pollution and health concerns.

Initiation of Structured Wastewater Treatment

The mid-20th century marked a pivotal shift as India recognized the need for organized wastewater treatment infrastructure. Urban centers began constructing sewage water treatment plants (STPs) to address the escalating waste generated by burgeoning populations. Despite these efforts, challenges such as inadequate coverage, maintenance issues, and financial constraints persisted, limiting the effectiveness of these early initiatives.

Technological Advancements and Modernization

In recent decades, India has embraced advanced wastewater treatment technology to enhance efficiency and sustainability:

  • Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) Technology: Companies like SFC Environmental Technologies have been instrumental in introducing SBR technology to India. SFC’s flagship C-Tech technology is an advanced SBR process that treats sewage and industrial effluents in a single-step biological process. As of September 2024, SFC has commissioned 621 wastewater treatment plants, holding over 80% market share in the SBR segment in India.
  • Hydrodynamic Cavitation: Pioneered by researchers like Professor Aniruddha B. Pandit, this technology utilizes cavitation phenomena to treat industrial effluents and disinfect water bodies. Its application has led to the successful rejuvenation of polluted lakes, showcasing its potential in large-scale wastewater management.
  • Mobile Treatment Units (MTUs): Innovations such as truck-based MTUs have emerged, enabling on-site fecal sludge treatment. Developed by organizations like the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Institute of India, these units address challenges associated with waste transportation and illegal disposal, offering a practical solution for decentralized wastewater management.

Policy Initiatives and Public Engagement

Government initiatives have played a crucial role in shaping the wastewater industry:

  • Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission): Launched in 2014, this mission emphasizes sanitation and waste management, leading to increased investments in wastewater infrastructure and public awareness.
  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): Focused on rejuvenating the Ganges River, the NMCG has implemented numerous projects to enhance sewage treatment capacities in cities along the river, aiming to reduce pollution and restore ecological balance.

Public-Private Partnerships and Global Collaborations

Recognizing the scale of the challenge, India has fostered collaborations between government bodies, private enterprises, and international organizations:

  • Innovative Sanitation Solutions: Companies like Lixil have developed technologies such as the Generation 2 Reinvented Toilet (G2RT), which operates without traditional water supply or sewage connections. These innovations are particularly relevant for regions lacking conventional infrastructure, offering sustainable sanitation alternatives.
  • Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange: As per World Bank blog, partnerships with global institutions have facilitated the exchange of best practices, capacity building, and the adoption of cutting-edge wastewater treatment technologies, enhancing the sector’s overall efficiency.

Future Outlook And Conclusion

The evolution of wastewater treatment in India is an ongoing process, with several key focus areas:

  • Decentralized Treatment Solutions: Implementing localized treatment systems to manage wastewater at the source, reducing the burden on centralized infrastructure and promoting community participation.
  • Resource Recovery and Circular Economy: Transforming wastewater treatment plants into resource recovery centers that extract energy, nutrients, and water for reuse, aligning with sustainable development goals.
  • Digitalization and Smart Monitoring: Leveraging digital technologies for real-time monitoring and management of wastewater systems, enhancing operational efficiency and responsiveness.

India’s wastewater industry has made significant strides, evolving from rudimentary practices to embracing advanced technologies and innovative solutions. This journey reflects the nation’s dedication to environmental sustainability, public health, and the well-being of its citizens.

DISCLAIMER – IMPORTANT

THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT DIRECTED AT OR INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS LOCATED OUTSIDE INDIA. THESE MATERIALS ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE TO COMPLY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (ISSUE OF CAPITAL AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS) REGULATIONS, 2018, AS AMENDED.

IMPORTANT: You must read and agree with the terms and conditions of the following disclaimer before continuing.

The following disclaimer applies to the draft red herring prospectus of SFC Environmental Technologies Limited (the “Company”) dated August 25, 2025 (the “DRHP”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) and BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (“Stock Exchanges”) and hosted on this website in connection with the initial public offering of the equity shares of the Company (the “Offer”). You are advised to read the following notice carefully before accessing or making any other use of the DRHP. By accessing the DRHP, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions, including any modifications to them from time to time.

The DRHP is directed at, and is intended for distribution to, and use by, residents of India only. The information in this portion of our website, including the DRHP, is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. No part of the contents of the DRHP shall be copied or duplicated in any form by any means or redistributed.

The DRHP has been hosted on this website as prescribed under Regulation 26(4) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018, as amended (the “SEBI ICDR Regulations”). You are reminded that documents transmitted in electronic form may be altered or changed during the process of transmission and consequently, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability or responsibility whatsoever in respect of alterations or changes which have taken place during the course of transmission of electronic data.

The DRHP does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to subscribe to the securities offered in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or invitation in such jurisdiction and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where (a) distribution or use of such information would be contrary to law or regulation; or (b) the Company or any of its affiliates would by virtue of such distribution become subject to new or additional registration, licensing or other regulatory requirements. The Equity Shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws in the United States, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. Accordingly, the Equity Shares are being offered and sold outside the United States in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S and applicable laws of the jurisdictions where such offers and sales are made. There will be no public offering of the Equity Shares in the United States.

Any person into whose possession the DRHP comes is required to inform himself or herself about and to observe any such restrictions. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates is soliciting any action based on the DRHP, and it should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP for any investment decision.

Any decision on whether to invest in the equity shares described in the DRHP may only be made after a red herring prospectus has been filed with the Registrar of Companies, Maharashtra at Mumbai and the SEBI and must be made solely on the basis of such red herring prospectus, as there may be material changes in the red herring prospectus compared to the DRHP. Invitations to subscribe to or purchase the equity shares in the Offer will be made only pursuant to the red herring prospectus if the recipient is in India or the preliminary offering memorandum for the Offer, which comprises the red herring prospectus and the preliminary international wrap for the Offer, if the recipient is outside India. No person outside India is eligible to Bid for equity shares in the Offer unless that person has received the preliminary offering memorandum for the Offer, which shall contain the selling restrictions for the Offer outside India.

Any potential investor should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to such risk, please see the section titled “Risk Factors” of the red herring prospectus, when available.

Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates will be responsible for any loss or damage that could result from interception and interpretation by any third parties of any information being made available to you through this website. The Company and its affiliates cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the information being made available to you in the DRHP beyond the date of the DRHP. The information contained in the DRHP may not be updated since its original publication date and may not reflect the latest updates. The Company and its affiliates will not be responsible for any loss to any person or entity caused by any shortcoming, defect or inaccuracy which may have inadvertently or otherwise crept into the website. Neither the Company, any of its affiliates nor their directors, officers and employees will be liable or have any responsibility of any kind for any loss or damage that you incur in the event of any failure or disruption of this website, or resulting from the act or omission of any other party involved in making this website or the data contained therein available to you, or from any other cause relating to your access to, inability to access, or use of the website or these materials.

If you are not permitted to view the materials on this website or are in any doubt as to whether you are permitted to view these materials, please exit this webpage. To access this information, you must confirm by pressing on the button marked “I Confirm” that, at the time of access you are located and resident in India. If you cannot make this confirmation, you must press the button marked “I Do Not Confirm”.

The documentation contained in these pages is posted solely to comply with Indian legal and regulatory requirements. Making the information contained herein available in electronic format does not constitute an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy or sell securities of the Company in the United States or in any other jurisdiction, including without limitation, India.

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DISCLAIMER – IMPORTANT

To access this information, you must confirm, by pressing on the button marked “I Confirm”, that at the time of access, you are located and resident in India. If you cannot make this confirmation, you must press the button marked “I Do Not Confirm”.

The documentation contained in these pages is posted solely to comply with Indian legal and regulatory requirements. Making the information contained herein available in electronic format does not constitute an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy or sell securities of the Company in the United States or in any other jurisdiction, including without limitation, India.

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DISCLAIMER – IMPORTANT

To access this information, you must confirm, by pressing on the button marked “I Confirm”, that at the time of access, you are located and resident in India. If you cannot make this confirmation, you must press the button marked “I Do Not Confirm”.

The documentation contained in these pages is posted solely to comply with Indian legal and regulatory requirements. Making the information contained herein available in electronic format does not constitute an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy or sell securities of the Company in the United States or in any other jurisdiction, including without limitation, India.

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DISCLAIMER – IMPORTANT

THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT DIRECTED AT OR INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS LOCATED OUTSIDE INDIA. THESE MATERIALS ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE TO COMPLY WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (ISSUE OF CAPITAL AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS) REGULATIONS, 2018, AS AMENDED. IMPORTANT: You must read and agree with the terms and conditions of the following disclaimer before continuing. The following disclaimer applies to the draft red herring prospectus of SFC Environmental Technologies Limited (the “Company”) dated August 25, 2025 (the “DRHP”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) and BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (“Stock Exchanges”) and hosted on this website in connection with the initial public offering of the equity shares of the Company (the “Offer”). You are advised to read the following notice carefully before accessing or making any other use of the DRHP. By accessing the DRHP, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions, including any modifications to them from time to time. The DRHP is directed at, and is intended for distribution to, and use by, residents of India only. The information in this portion of our website, including the DRHP, is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. No part of the contents of the DRHP shall be copied or duplicated in any form by any means or redistributed. The DRHP has been hosted on this website as prescribed under Regulation 26(4) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018, as amended (the “SEBI ICDR Regulations”). You are reminded that documents transmitted in electronic form may be altered or changed during the process of transmission and consequently, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability or responsibility whatsoever in respect of alterations or changes which have taken place during the course of transmission of electronic data. The DRHP does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to subscribe to the securities offered in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or invitation in such jurisdiction and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where (a) distribution or use of such information would be contrary to law or regulation; or (b) the Company or any of its affiliates would by virtue of such distribution become subject to new or additional registration, licensing or other regulatory requirements. The Equity Shares have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws in the United States, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. Accordingly, the Equity Shares are being offered and sold outside the United States in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S and applicable laws of the jurisdictions where such offers and sales are made. There will be no public offering of the Equity Shares in the United States. Any person into whose possession the DRHP comes is required to inform himself or herself about and to observe any such restrictions. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates is soliciting any action based on the DRHP, and it should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP for any investment decision. Any decision on whether to invest in the equity shares described in the DRHP may only be made after a red herring prospectus has been filed with the Registrar of Companies, Maharashtra at Mumbai and the SEBI and must be made solely on the basis of such red herring prospectus, as there may be material changes in the red herring prospectus compared to the DRHP. Invitations to subscribe to or purchase the equity shares in the Offer will be made only pursuant to the red herring prospectus if the recipient is in India or the preliminary offering memorandum for the Offer, which comprises the red herring prospectus and the preliminary international wrap for the Offer, if the recipient is outside India. No person outside India is eligible to Bid for equity shares in the Offer unless that person has received the preliminary offering memorandum for the Offer, which shall contain the selling restrictions for the Offer outside India. Any potential investor should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to such risk, please see the section titled “Risk Factors” of the red herring prospectus, when available. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates will be responsible for any loss or damage that could result from interception and interpretation by any third parties of any information being made available to you through this website. The Company and its affiliates cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the information being made available to you in the DRHP beyond the date of the DRHP. The information contained in the DRHP may not be updated since its original publication date and may not reflect the latest updates. The Company and its affiliates will not be responsible for any loss to any person or entity caused by any shortcoming, defect or inaccuracy which may have inadvertently or otherwise crept into the website. Neither the Company, any of its affiliates nor their directors, officers and employees will be liable or have any responsibility of any kind for any loss or damage that you incur in the event of any failure or disruption of this website, or resulting from the act or omission of any other party involved in making this website or the data contained therein available to you, or from any other cause relating to your access to, inability to access, or use of the website or these materials. If you are not permitted to view the materials on this website or are in any doubt as to whether you are permitted to view these materials, please exit this webpage. To access this information, you must confirm by pressing on the button marked “I Confirm” that, at the time of access you are located and resident in India. If you cannot make this confirmation, you must press the button marked “I Do Not Confirm”. The documentation contained in these pages is posted solely to comply with Indian legal and regulatory requirements. Making the information contained herein available in electronic format does not constitute an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy or sell securities of the Company in the United States or in any other jurisdiction, including without limitation, India.
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Vision

Empowering a sustainable world through innovative solutions, SFC envisions a future where environmental responsibility and cutting-edge technology harmoniously coexist, creating a cleaner and more prosperous planet for all.