United Way Bengaluru’s flagship water stewardship initiative, One Billion Drops (OBD), has been honoured with the SABERA Awards 2025 in the Environment & Consumption category, reaffirming its leadership in driving sustainable water conservation through collective action.
The SABERA Awards, recognised as South Asia’s most credible awards for brand-building, reputation management, and purpose-led communication, celebrate initiatives that create meaningful social and environmental impact while demonstrating excellence in strategy and execution.
The One Billion Drops campaign was recognised for its sustained, scalable, and collaborative approach to addressing India’s growing water crisis. By mobilising corporates, communities, government bodies, and civil society, the campaign has focused on water conservation, rejuvenation of water bodies, groundwater recharge, and responsible water consumption, creating measurable impact across urban and rural landscapes.
The award was received by Mr. Radhakrishna Pradeep, Senior Manager – Climate Action & Partnerships, United Way Bengaluru, along with Mr. Muniraju, a well digger from the Bovi community and a resident of Bovipalya, Karnataka. Today, nearly 120 families from the community are engaged with the initiative. With over 10,000 rainwater harvesting wells created in the city of Bengaluru, One Billion Drops has emerged as a milestone initiative contributing to India’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat.
Since its inception, the campaign has enabled the harvesting, replenishment, and conservation of millions of litres of water annually, while also building awareness around water-positive practices among citizens and institutions. Its integrated model combines on-ground action with advocacy, volunteer engagement, and long-term ecosystem partnerships.
The award underscores United Way Bengaluru’s commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, through innovative, inclusive, and impact-driven programmes.
United Way Bengaluru continues to work closely with corporates, civic authorities, and local communities to expand the reach of One Billion Drops, ensuring long-term water sustainability and climate resilience for future generations.
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