WELL Labs

WELL Labs is a water systems research and action organisation based in Bengaluru. It works on transforming how water is managed across India, combining scientific research with on-the-ground implementation across rural and urban contexts. WELL Labs is an autonomous centre within the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Society, and brings together 90 professionals including hydrologists, environmental engineers, urban planners, remote sensing experts, data scientists, agricultural specialists, social scientists, and science communicators. Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Sectors: Water, Environment, Agriculture, Climate Change, Urban Systems, Rural Livelihoods

Programmes WELL Labs works across five programmes, each addressing a different dimension of water and land management in India.

• Rural Futures

This programme focuses on improving farming incomes and restoring degraded land and water resources in rural areas. The work spans sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and building climate resilience for smallholder farmers and rural communities.

• Urban Water

This programme works on making cities more water-secure through water circularity, reuse, and nature-based solutions. A specific project under this programme is WaterReuseLab, which looks at how decentralised treated wastewater can contribute to urban water supply, with work currently underway in Bengaluru in collaboration with Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology.

• Technical Consulting

WELL Labs provides technical support to governments and organisations working on natural resource management, using data, modelling, and evidence-based approaches to improve decision-making on water and related issues.

• Products, Platforms and Partnerships

This programme develops tools and connects organisations working on water and sustainability. One key product is Jaltol, a water accounting and monitoring tool. The programme also runs the Green Rural Economy Initiative, which brings together social sector organisations working on rural water and livelihoods to share knowledge and expand their impact.

• Futures Research

This programme works on long-term, climate-focused questions, running collaborative spaces where communities, researchers, and practitioners can co-develop and test solutions to complex water and climate challenges.

How They Work WELL Labs works by embedding solutions within governments rather than operating parallel to them, partnering with the private sector and civil society, and building evidence to inform and adjust programmes over time. Their approach involves co-creating visions with communities, connecting stakeholders around shared goals, and ensuring successful solutions are integrated into government planning processes.

WELL Labs publishes research, blogs, op-eds, and hosts two podcasts: the Water Data Podcast and the WELL Labs Show.

WELL Labs is a good fit for people with backgrounds in hydrology, environmental science, remote sensing, data and GIS, urban planning, agriculture, social science, or policy who want to work at the intersection of research and implementation on water issues in India.