More than 60% of companies reviewed in the survey, in sectors ranging from autos to IT services, agreed that water availability “is impacting their business today.” And these businesses are responsible for just 6% of water consumed in the country.

The situation is likely to get worse. The study, released earlier this week by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, says that “access to water has become difficult and the problem is likely to increase in the coming years.”

In the next decade, water will be a major issue for close to 90% of Indian businesses, the report says. Manufacturing, thermal power and the textile industry are among the sectors likely to suffer most because of water scarcity.

For others, the main worry is poor water quality. This applies especially to pharmaceutical and food processing companies, as they often have to install additional water filters, which ramps up production costs.

Another problem industries face is water supply cuts. Around 40% of respondents said this happens regularly, suggesting poor infrastructure is also to blame. A 2010 study showed that in the case of Delhi alone, 40% of water is leaked or stolen before it reaches the city.

But there is an upside: India Inc. is now taking steps to conserve water. “There is greater emphasis on wastewater treatment and reuse,” said Romit Sen, a senior official at the FICCI’s water division and the main author of the report.

Some Indian firms are now working toward zero water waste. They include Hindustan Construction and Tata Steel, the only two Indian companies that have formally endorsed the United Nation’s CEO Water Mandate,  public-private initiative aimed at helping companies boost their water conservation efforts.

But if these efforts are to make a difference, areas like agriculture, which consumes most of India’s water, also need to be addressed.

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