Xylem Receives Key Certification From Government In India

Essence of Life initiative’s Saajhi Stepping Pump eligible for federal programs in rural farming

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company focused on addressing the world’s most challenging water issues,announced recently that the Saajhi Stepping Pump, a product designed specifically for the smallholder farmer and offered through its Essence of Life (EOL) initiative, helped the company receive a certification that qualifies it for Indian rural government programs.

The Certification Report, issued by the Indian State Level Farm Machinery Training and Testing Center, is given by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Agriculture and Cooperation in Odisha, India. Companies must pass a lengthy certification process at a government endorsed testing site, ensuring quality and ease of product operation. After approximately five months, Xylem received the report that its Saajhi Stepping Pump qualifies for government programs. As part of EOL, the company is focused on improving the economic mobility of farmers in rural agriculture.

“This report validates to our rural customers that we produce a well built product that is designed and engineered with their specific needs and wants in mind,” said Keith Teichmann, director of innovative networks and marketing, Xylem Inc. “The certification enables us to further empower smallholder farmers to improve their economic outlook by opening us, and the product, up to major government programs.”

The Saajhi Stepping Pump is a manual stepping pump that was engineered, designed and vetted within rural agricultural markets as an essential water pumping solution for smallholder farmers. The pump enables farmers to increase revenue, reduce labor and maximize crop output, helping improve food supply and security, and in turn boosting the local economy.

EOL is a unique business model that leverages a hybrid value chain –an innovative public-private collaboration strategy with its roots in academic thought leadership – to break through the physical, economic and other entrenched factors that underlie the persistence of agricultural underperformance. It delivers definitive shared value through innovative rural water management solutions, addressing the fundamental needs of the economic base of the pyramid and supporting the inherent capability of this group to move upward in the economic strata. For more information, visit http://www.xyleminc.com/en-us/sustainability/essence-of-life/Pages/default.aspx.

About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding local solutions to the world’s most challenging water and wastewater problems. Xylemis headquartered in Rye Brook, N.Y., with 2013 revenues of $3.8B and more than 12,500 employees worldwide. Xylem was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the last two years for advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.

The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all -- that which occurs in nature. For more information, visit www.xyleminc.com.