Australia-India partnership is transforming farmland in northern Karnataka, bringing water efficiency and higher yields to thousands of farmers.
Australian irrigation technology company Rubicon Water, in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives (MSDPL), has modernised the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal (NLBC) by installing more than 4,200 solar-powered automated gates and advanced control systems. The project covers 400,000 hectares of farmland and is one of the world’s largest irrigation modernisation initiatives.
Awarded in 2019, the project enables on-demand water delivery using smart gates powered by Rubicon’s patented technology. Farmers along 3,000 km of canal can now receive precise water flows, reducing wastage, avoiding fertiliser runoff and boosting productivity. Early surveys suggest crop yields at the tail end of the canal have risen by over 30%.
Earlier this year, the NLBC project won the Water Infrastructure Innovation Award at the Build India Infrastructure Awards 2025 for its sustainable impact.
Visiting the site, Australian Consul-General Hilary McGeachy and Austrade South Asia Business Development Director Pravalika Inala praised the partnership as a model of bilateral collaboration. Austrade South Asia noted,
“We are proud to support this Australia-India partnership that combines Australian technical expertise with Indian manufacturing capability to solve real problems for India’s farming communities.”
Former Water Resources Secretary U. P. Singh stressed that India’s challenge lies not in rainfall but in water management. “Ninety per cent of water goes to agriculture, but efficiency is only 35–40%. The field does not require water, the plants require water,” he said, highlighting the importance of modern technology.
Established in 1995, Melbourne-headquartered Rubicon Water operates globally with projects across 20 countries. Medha Servo Drives, founded in 1984, is a leader in railway and propulsion technologies with expanding expertise in irrigation and water management.
The NLBC Phase II Modernisation Project showcases how Australian innovation and Indian engineering can deliver practical, sustainable solutions to one of India’s most pressing challenges: water security for agriculture.
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