NoPo Nanotechnologies, India’s pioneering carbon nanotube innovator, has been shortlisted for the XPRIZE Water Scarcity Challenge, a $119 million global competition dedicated to advancing affordable and sustainable seawater desalination.

The company is one of 93 teams worldwide selected under Track A, and notably, the only participant from India in this category.

At the heart of NoPo’s entry are its Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) membranes, manufactured using its proprietary industrial-scale HiPCO® process. These membranes are engineered to achieve twice the water flux of conventional reverse osmosis systems, offering superior energy efficiency, durability, and reduced rejection rates.

“The XPRIZE Water challenge is exactly the stage where our work can drive global impact,” said Gadhadar Reddy, CEO of NoPo Nanotechnologies. “We believe nanotube-based desalination membranes can finally provide a scalable and sustainable answer to water scarcity.”

Arunima Patel, Chief Business Officer, credited the milestone to the team’s persistence and the institutional support behind the journey. Chief Scientific Officer Anto Godwin called the shortlisting a validation of more than a decade of breakthroughs in nanotube production and application. Director of Technology, Dr. Robert Kelley Bradley, emphasized that global adoption of advanced water purification systems is critical, as billions still lack access to safe drinking water.

Beyond the competition, NoPo’s leadership extended an invitation for researchers, collaborators, and volunteers to join its mission to “solve water for good.”

About NoPo Nanotechnologies

Founded in 2011, NoPo Nanotechnologies is the only Indian company — and one of a select few worldwide — capable of producing HiPCO® SWCNTs at industrial scale. Its nanotube technology enables advancements across energy storage, electronics, coatings, and water purification.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE designs and runs large-scale competitions to accelerate breakthroughs addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. For more than three decades, it has created a global model for crowdsourced innovation that fosters scalable solutions for a more sustainable and abundant future.

By: Arushi Agarwal