Ankita Chakraborty

Indian environmental engineer who developed affordable wastewater filtration systems adopted by 120+ rural communities

Ankita Chakraborty (b. 1990) revolutionized water purification through her Sustainable Water Labs initiative, creating clay-pot filtration systems costing just $15 per unit. Her NanoBioCeram technology uses locally sourced materials treated with nanosilver particles, achieving 99.9% pathogen removal. This innovation won the 2021 Global Water Innovation Prize, with deployment across 18 Indian states. Chakraborty's 2023 collaboration with Stanford University's Civil and Environmental Engineering department produced the first open-source biogeochemical modeling framework for decentralized water systems. Her Community Empowerment Model trains villagers to maintain systems themselves, creating 300+ local jobs. Notable projects include the 2022 Project Jal Shakti in Odisha, which provided clean water to 45,000 people, and the 2024 Climate-Resilient Filtration Units designed for flood-prone regions. Chakraborty's TED Talk "Engineering Equality in Water Access" has over 2 million views. Recent partnerships with UNICEF include pilot programs in Bangladesh and Nepal.