Bry-Air Expands Into Atmospheric Water Generation Amid Rising Global Scarcity

NEW DELHI — Amid growing international concerns over global water scarcity, environmental control solutions provider Bry-Air has introduced its Air Water Generator (AWG) range. The technology applies more than six decades of adsorption and moisture-control expertise to atmospheric water generation, extracting moisture from ambient air to convert it into a usable water source independent of pipelines, borewells, or water tankers.

According to UNU-INWEH data cited by the company, nearly three-quarters of the global population lives in water-insecure or critically water-insecure regions. Furthermore, UNICEF estimates that up to 700 million people could face displacement due to intense water scarcity by 2030, leaving arid and semi-arid regions particularly vulnerable.

Engineered to operate in diverse climatic conditions, the AWG performs reliably in low-humidity environments. The underlying adsorption technology has generated 28 new families of technology and 96 granted patents over the past two decades. The AWG product itself is patent-protected, with its initial patent filed in 2022.

Since 2022, Bry-Air has deployed units in the 55 litres/day and 1,200 litres/day mid-range classes. Leveraging its manufacturing capability in moisture adsorption packages—including Low Dew Point battery applications delivering -80°C dew point air—the company produces nearly four engineered desiccant packages daily. This infrastructure has supported the production of an AWG unit with a capacity of 200 litres/hour. Because the system is modular, units can be stacked to deliver up to 1,600 litres/hour per system, translating to approximately 14 million litres annually.

The AWG range utilises advanced, durable rotors designed for continuous operation with minimal supervision and energy efficiency. As part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, Bry-Air has already installed several AWG units in Alwar, Rajasthan, providing localized water access to communities in water-stressed areas.

“For more than six decades, Bry-Air has engineered technologies to control and manage moisture in air. With the AWG, we are applying that same depth of adsorption expertise in a new direction—extracting moisture from the atmosphere and converting it into a reliable source of water,” said Deepak Pahwa, Chairman of the Pahwa Group and Managing Director of Bry-Air (Asia).

“Our installations in Alwar and NCR demonstrate how this technology can be deployed in the field, particularly in regions where access to conventional water sources is challenging. We see atmospheric water generation as an important part of decentralised water infrastructure for the future,” Pahwa added.

Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd. operates as part of the Pahwa Group, a global provider specializing in dehumidification, drying, gas-phase filtration, and atmospheric water generation. Founded in 1964, the company runs 13 manufacturing facilities serving customers across more than 80 countries, supported by a workforce of over 1,800 employees and a presence on all continents.

"The expansion of established industrial engineering firms into decentralized utilities like atmospheric water generation highlights an important shift in how businesses address climate-driven resource challenges. By translating core manufacturing competencies—in this case, adsorption and moisture control—into modular infrastructure, companies can scale practical solutions for water-scarce regions. This deployment model demonstrates how industrial technology can pivot effectively to meet critical environmental demands." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes