India's declining water table needs more investment in social innovation to help the things round. Rajasthan, one of India's driest states has a water problem, despite a good rainfall this year: its groundwater is disappearing. The government says nearly half the state's ground water zones fall into the 'dark' category, where more than 85% of the ground water is developed for use and much is over-exploited. In 2009, a NASA study said parts of India are on track for severe water shortages.

India is a severely water-stressed economy and as the scarcity increases, competing demands for water grow. Farmers are the first to be affected, as more than 80% of the rural water supply and farm irrigation comes from water sources below the land. Farmers in Rajasthan have reduced their water consumption by using sprinkler systems and drip irrigation techniques. Many have also switched to more water-efficient crops like millet and vegetables like garlic, onion, green chilis and okra.

A local brewery, SAB Miller India, who is equally dependent on water has funded the construction of five water recharge dams, which prevent the excessive run-off of water, helping the natural water recharge. Since their construction, the brewery believes the local ground water levels have increased by 17m (56ft). Yet breweries themselves are a water-intensive industry; it is estimated that the global average water footprint of one 250ml glass of beer (from barley) is about 75 litres; critics say SAB Miller is part of the local water problem. The Confederation of Indian Industry has employed a team of agro-engineers to find solutions. Their agro engineers are relying on answers from the ancient social innovation knowledge that is famous in the region. The rulers of Rajasthan used to build these elaborate step wells to store water and their unique feature of the steps descending gradually, making water access easy, even when levels are low.

Groundwater is India's lifeline and the right to use groundwater were tested recently in the Coca-Cola case in Kerala, South India. This February, the local government passed a law that allows people to seek compensation from Coca-Cola's plant at Plachimada. It was shut down more than six years ago following a legal battle and a sustained campaign by civil rights groups. While, the scarcity of water is a reputational risk to companies, it is a financial threat to the entire community. Environmentalists believe efficient water management must be supported by stricter laws as the current ground water regulations are weak.

The Indian government needs to encourage local communities to harvest rain water and to maintain ground water levels; overextraction will cause a severe risk of land subsidence. India is the world's largest groundwater user in terms of volume pumped and number of users. The government's planning commission estimates demand will double by 2050, as agriculture will still be the single biggest consumer of water, with 83% of all water available being used for irrigation. Farmers need social innovation and technology for the survival of their future.