Amazon achieves water positive status in India amid data centre scrutiny

Amazon has announced that it has become water positive in India, achieving a key sustainability target ahead of schedule as scrutiny grows over the environmental impact of expanding data centre infrastructure worldwide.

The company said it now returns more water to communities than it uses across its direct operations in India, including corporate offices, fulfilment centres, and data centres.

Amazon had previously set a target of becoming water positive in India by 2027, but has now reached the milestone earlier than planned.

The announcement comes at a time when major technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, face increasing pressure from shareholders and environmental groups regarding the resource demands associated with data centre expansion, particularly as investments in artificial intelligence continue to accelerate.

Water positive milestone achieved early

According to Amazon, the achievement was driven by a combination of reduced water consumption across facilities and investments in community-focused water replenishment projects.

The company said its initiatives enabled it to return 120% of the water it used in its direct operations during 2025.

Progress is measured by comparing the volume of water replenished through conservation and restoration projects against the volume withdrawn for operational use.

Amazon added that its performance is verified through regular internal and third-party audits.

"Water is fundamental to the communities where we operate, and we recognise both the scale of India's water challenge and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference," said Abhinav Singh, Vice President, Operations, Amazon India, APAC, Middle East, and Türkiye.

"Achieving water positive in India is a significant milestone. It reflects years of our consistent work to improve water efficiency across our operations while investing in large-scale community projects, from lake restoration to watershed development. We remain committed to improving water quality and helping build more water-resilient communities across the country," he added.

Focus on water-stressed regions

Amazon highlighted India's water challenges, noting that the country is home to 18% of the world's population but only 4% of global freshwater resources.

The company said its water stewardship strategy is built around three pillars: reducing water use, reusing water through treatment and harvesting systems, and replenishing water in communities facing water stress.

Amazon stated that it has committed more than ₹62 crore towards water stewardship initiatives across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi NCR, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

These projects are expected to replenish more than 4 billion litres of water annually through watershed restoration, lake rejuvenation, groundwater recharge, efficient irrigation, and water quality improvement programmes.

Among the projects is a Yamuna River watershed initiative in Delhi that is expected to replenish more than 400 million litres of water annually through groundwater recharge infrastructure and water quality improvement measures.

The company is also supporting initiatives in Chennai's Adyar River watershed.

Reducing and reusing water across operations

Amazon said its data centres in India do not use water for cooling.

Water consumption across its other facilities, including fulfilment centres and offices, is primarily associated with employee needs such as drinking water, kitchens, and restrooms.

To reduce usage, the company has implemented measures including low-flow fixtures and smart water meters designed to monitor consumption, identify leaks, and improve operational efficiency.

The company also continues to expand wastewater recycling efforts.

As of 2025, on-site sewage treatment plants at Amazon facilities recycle wastewater, providing an estimated 298 million litres annually for uses such as irrigation and toilet flushing.

Additionally, rainwater harvesting systems across Amazon facilities collected approximately 178 million litres of water in 2025, helping replenish groundwater reserves.

AWS advances global water goals

Amazon's cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services, has set a separate global goal of becoming water positive by 2030.

According to the company, AWS has already reached 75% of that target.

In 2025, AWS returned three litres of water for every four litres it used in its direct data centre operations.

In India, AWS has supported water replenishment initiatives through partnerships with organisations including WaterAid, Water.org, and SEARCH.

These projects focus on improving water access, supporting groundwater recharge, and helping communities and farmers around Hyderabad, Mumbai, and other regions with water security challenges.

Globally, Amazon said it has announced more than 50 water replenishment projects that are expected to return over 24 billion litres of water annually through watershed restoration, improved water access and quality, leak reduction efforts, and measures aimed at addressing water scarcity.

The milestone comes as Amazon continues to expand its presence in India.

The company has previously outlined plans to invest more than $35 billion in the country by 2030, including investments aimed at strengthening artificial intelligence capabilities, cloud infrastructure, and exports.