Access to clean drinking water remains a struggle for millions of families across India. According to a report by water.org, data shows that out of India's population of 1.3 billion, 91 million (6% of the population) do not have access to safe water. Pollution, floating particles in cans, and unreliable vendors make access to safe drinking water challenging. DrinkPrime tackled this crisis through an innovative subscription model for purified water supply.

Identifying the need

The idea for DrinkPrime was conceived when roommates Vijender Reddy Mutyala and Manas Ranjan Hota experienced first-hand the frustration of not getting water can deliveries on time. This prompted them to take an in-depth look at the quality and reliability of existing drinking water suppliers. Their survey found that 8 out of 10 water cans failed to meet safety standards and contained unacceptable levels of pollution. The cost of traditional water purifiers was more than affordable, especially for middle-class families in India.

Vijender used his technical expertise as a senior developer who was adept at designing solutions. It understood the consumer mind and observed widespread reluctance among peers in adopting water purifiers due to cost concerns and lack of trust in available options. These experiences led them to delve deeper into the issue of water quality and availability.

Their experiences of living together with a desire to solve a problem inspired them to create an accessible, technology-enabled platform for safe drinking water. They envisioned a company that would not only provide high-quality water purifiers, but also a seamless customer experience from installation to maintenance. This led to the beginning of Drink Prime.

The concept of the subscription model

The startup idea was born out of the need to make safe water available to all through a subscription model. This approach means that a purifier doesn't require a large upfront investment, and only comes with a small monthly fee based on usage and family size. The founders spent time trying to design flexible subscription plans that would fit from large families to individual families and couples. Their Solo, Couple, Family, and Unlimited plans provide custom and budget-friendly access to purified water. Along with the cost-effective plans, they also offer free delivery, installation and maintenance throughout the purifier's life, annual filter replacement, and relocation services when subscribers switch. This unprecedented service has brought a new standard to the 30-year-old water purifier industry.

For subscribers, this means that there are no more problems with tracking filter conditions or calling repair staff. DrinkPrime monitors advance systems and schedules services based on actual usage. Provides peace of mind, convenience, and a remarkable satisfaction and retention rate.

Innovative technology for timely delivery

The startup uses state-of-the-art IoT, AI, and machine learning to monitor water quality. Purifier sensors detect TDS levels and alert Drink Prime to schedule maintenance checks and proactively deliver new filters when needed. This preventive service ensures that consumers have access to clean water on a regular basis.

Their mobile app provides complete system visibility and instantly detects leaks or outages through a smart algorithm. Drink Prime deploys automated supply chain technologies for inventory management. This enables faster dispatch and delivery with industry-leading SLAs. The founding duo knows that timely supply is of paramount importance for a water company. Even a day's delay reduces the trust of customers. They are continuously optimizing the drinking water experience across purifier design, mobile interface, delivery infrastructure, and support channels.

Key milestones in the start-up journey

In the 7 years since its launch, DrinkPrime has achieved notable milestones:

• Serving more than 100,000 families across metros, including top hospitals and schools.
• EBITDA and profitability are positive.
• Fast Company's recognition of Asia's Best Innovative Companies.
• Your Story Challenger Brand Award.
• It receives funding from marquee institutional investors such as Sequoia Capital.

DrinkPrime has raised over Rs 77 crore in funding from marquee investors to fuel its growth plans. In 2017, the startup raised angel funding, which helped set up operations and product development. It is in the process of raising Series B to fuel its further expansion plans.