Water & Waste Sustainability Summit 2026:
Driving Circular Economy Solutions
Conference by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)
27 February 2026 | Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai
Part of Water Today Conferences 2026 | Co-located with the 19th Water Expo Chennai 2026
Speaker Profiles
The summit will feature senior voices from government, industry, academia, and sustainability leadership:
Smt. Archana Varma, IAS
Guest of Honour- Inaugural session
Additional Secretary & Mission Director
(National Water Mission)
Ministry of Jal Shakti, ,Government of India
Shram Shakti Bhawan Rafi Marg, New Delhi – 110001
Dr. S. Karthikeyan
Professor & Director
Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, Chennai
Key theme: Industry–Academia–Government Collaboration for Circular Solutions
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Inovation and R&D in water and waste technologies
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Skill development and capacity building
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Financing circular economy projects
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ESG, compliance, and reporting frameworks
Dr.M.Suresh Gandhi.
M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D PROFESSOR AND HEAD
Department of Geology Head I.C- Department of Applied Geology Univeristy of Madras, Chennai – 25
Professor and Head, Centre for Environmental Sciences
Key theme: Industry–Academia–Government Collaboration for Circular Solutions
Innovation and R&D in water and waste technologies
Skill development and capacity building Financing circular economy projects ESG, compliance, and reporting frameworks
Prof. Dr P.Shanmugam
He wants to speak on his own topic is " Sustainable circular economy through Biorefinery for tannery solid waste management".
MS (Civi/Env.Engg IIT. M) MSc.(Env Scs) , PhD (Civil/Env.Engg. Leeds, UK) FIPHE, Commonwealth Fellow, UK Chief Scientist (“G”), Head of the Department , Professor of AcSIR , Group Leader, Environmental Engineering and Sciences , CSIR- CENTRAL LEATHER RESEARCH INSTITUTE ADYAR, (Ministry of Science and Technology , Govt. of India) Chennai.20
Key theme- Water Sustainability
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Industrial water stewardship and zero liquid discharge (ZLD)
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Water-efficient technologies for manufacturing and infrastructure
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Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse
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Smart water management and digital solutions
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Water Security & Waste Resilience for a Climate-Challenged South India
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Focus on urban water stress, industrial wastewater, and regional sustainability challenges
Prof. P. C. Sabumon
Full time Professor (Higher Academic grade), Civil Engineering,VIT Chennai Campus and having 33 years of experience in the Environmental Engineering field. Currently he is a Professor (HAG) in Centre for Climate Change & Environment at VIT Chennai.
Key theme: Industry–Academia–Government Collaboration for Circular Solutions
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Innovation and R&D in water and waste technologies
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Skill development and capacity building
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Financing circular economy projects
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ESG, compliance, and reporting frameworks
S. Mohammed Dawood
Managing Director
Earth Recycler Private Limited
No. 58/ 1 M.A.R Avenue, Woothcattan Street,
Periamet, Chennai – 600003
Key theme- Water Sustainability
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Industrial water stewardship and zero liquid discharge (ZLD)
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Water-efficient technologies for manufacturing and infrastructure
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Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse
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Smart water management and digital solutions
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Water Security & Waste Resilience for a Climate-Challenged South India
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Focus on urban water stress, industrial wastewater, and regional sustainability challenges
Mr. Ashok Muthuswamy
Vice President – BE, TQM & Sustainability
Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE)
Key theme: Global Best Practices in Water Management
Global Policy, Partnerships & Financing for Circular Economy
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International policy frameworks & SDGs
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Cross-country collaboration & technology transfer
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Climate finance, green bonds & blended finance
Mr. Ramveer Tanwar
Pondman of India | Working for ecosystem restoration, CSR, Sustainability ,Urban Forest, Climate Change, Storyteller, TEDX Speaker I Brand Ambassador, Say Earth NGO
Key theme: Circular Economy Pathways for Water & Waste Management
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Policy frameworks supporting circular economy
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Reuse and recycling of wastewater
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Resource recovery from solid and liquid waste
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Role of state governments and urban local bodies