Tata Chemical’s latest invention will give millions of Indian families access to clean drinking water.

A cost-effective water purifier has been launched in Mumbai by Tata Chemicals, which it hopes will help provide affordable, safe drinking water for millions of Indian families.

Tata Chemicals says its ‘Tata Swach’ requires no energy or running water to operate, and will provide a family of five in India safe drinking water for as little as Rs30 (40 pence).

A predecessor to Tata’s portable purifier was first used as part of the 2004 tsunami relief efforts.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of Tata, Ratan Tata, said: “Safe drinking water is the most basic of human needs. The social cost of water contamination is already enormous and increases every year.

“Although today’s announcement is about giving millions more people affordable access to safe water, it is an important step in the long-term strategy to find a solution to provide affordable access to safe water for all.”

In India water-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and polio are some of the biggest causes of death.

R Mukundan, Managing Director of Tata Chemicals, said: “With the launch of this product we are committing ourselves to work towards wiping out the curse of water-borne diseases.”

Less than a metre high, the Swach combines low-cost ingredients with superior nanotechnology. The cartridge bulb has the capacity to kill bacteria and disease-causing organisms.

Tata Chemicals is part of the Tata Group, which has also been responsible for providing low-cost driving solutions in India in the form of the Tata Nano.