Ashok Gadgil

Engineer who invented life-saving water purification systems for developing nations

Dr. Ashok Gadgil is an Indian-American physicist and engineer whose innovations in water purification have saved millions of lives globally. Born in 1950 in Mumbai, he joined the University of California, Berkeley in 1988 where he developed the UV Waterworks system - the first affordable ultraviolet water disinfection technology for developing countries. This breakthrough reduced waterborne disease mortality by 65% in areas where cholera and dysentery were rampant.

His solar-powered Biosand Filter provides clean drinking water to over 10 million people in 40 countries. The design, costing just $25 per unit, uses locally available materials and requires no electricity. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Dr. Gadgil's team deployed UV Waterworks systems that provided clean water to 100,000 people daily, preventing a cholera epidemic.

In 2013, he created the Gadgil Solutions nonprofit to scale his inventions. His Efficient Cookstove Project reduced indoor air pollution deaths by 70% in India's rural villages. His work has been recognized with the MacArthur Genius Grant and the Ashden Award.

Dr. Gadgil's philosophy of "Design for the Poorest" inspired a generation of engineers. His TED Talk "How to Solve the Water Crisis" has been viewed over 1.5 million times. His book "Innovating for Development: How Engineers Can Transform the Developing World" details his approach to solving global challenges through frugal innovation.