Twenty-one of India’s major cities may run out of ground water as early as 2020 according to a government report. Some experts contest that assessment but daily water woes are a part of life for almost half of the country’s population. The southern city of Chennai, where reservoirs are drying up due to a delayed monsoon and poor water management, is severely affected. Residents there have been queuing up to collect water from rationed government services, and schools, hospitals and restaurants are struggling to cope. Meanwhile, the Indian government has set up a new Jal Shakti (water power) Ministry, and is proposing a massive project to interlink India’s rivers as an answer to the water crisis. We focus on water conservation and management solutions to India’s water crisis. We speak to a water activist based in Chennai who restores lakes and ponds, the head of a Delhi-based non-profit that works to recharge groundwater, and a water expert who specialises in rural irrigation economy and policy making.

BBC Worklife India

How can India tackle its water crisis?

India is facing a health crisis that says a lot about the state of its healthcare systems. More than 100 children have died due to an outbreak of encephalitis in the eastern state of Bihar. The patients are usually in small towns and rural areas where medical facilities are strained. Public hospitals are in a shabby state and struggling to cope with streams of patients. All of this impacts the poor the most, as they are unable to afford the state-of-the-art private medical facilities available in big cities. Public expenditure on healthcare in India is quite low, but last year, the government announced an ambitious health insurance scheme. Can it make healthcare more accessible? And what role can technology and telemedicine play in improving the quality of healthcare?

Can India afford healthcare for all?

India's LGBTQ+ community is believed to be more than 100 million strong, and is openly celebrating pride month. Last year, India decriminalised gay sex, but deep-rooted social stigma remains. As more people come out and the community becomes more vocal about its preferences, entrepreneurs and big businesses are eager to tap into its spending power. New ventures targeting queer consumers are springing up in tourism, hospitality, fashion, healthcare and dating. But there are also concerns that an exclusive 'pink economy' might isolate the community. In this episode of WorklifeIndia, we ask a prominent transgender rights activist, an award winning fashion designer and LGBTQ+ rights activist, and the founder of a dating and community app for the LGBTQ+ community whether 'pink money' can take off in India.

Pride month: Can 'pink money' take off in India?

India’s coastline is over 7,500 kilometres (over 4,600 miles) long, and nearly a fifth of the country’s population – about 250 million people – live along the coast. From mineral resources to food, tourism and maritime trade, the Indian Ocean is a lifeline, and its assets are worth billions of dollars. But now the government is looking at an ambitious coastal development project to build ports, dams and inland waterways. How will this impact coastal communities and marine life? Will it end up choking the oceans, or can India adopt the Blue Economy and sustainably develop its marine resources? As we celebrate World Environment Day and World Oceans Day this week, we ask our guests whether the Blue Economy is viable.

Oceans Day: Is the Blue Economy viable?

As the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 begins, we look at the changes that cricket has undergone. From test matches that lasted more than a week, we’re now living in the times of T20 and T10 cricket. One of the key drivers behind this is money - cricket is now a much more lucrative sport than it used to be, with major brands stepping in as sponsors, broadcast rights selling for billions of dollars, and players standing to earn big bucks in commercial deals and endorsements. We speak to a sportscaster and former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, a top executive from one of the sponsors of the World Cup, and a former cricket player turned coach. The head coach of an Indian Premier League team joins us from Cape Town, South Africa and we ask them how cricket has evolved, and discuss what’s driving this multi-billion dollar game.

How is money changing cricket?

Indian voters have overwhelmingly voted Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in for a second term. His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has won with a large majority. This significant verdict will have a direct bearing on India's economy and society for the next five years. What does it mean for India's future? There are headwinds of an economic slowdown. The new government must also face challenges like agrarian distress, unemployment, trade tensions, and high crude prices. There are also fears of the rise of a right-wing agenda and communal polarisation. In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we speak to the chief of the Indian government institute for promoting economic development, a prominent sociologist, and the head of an independent think-tank that monitors the Indian economy. We ask them if Prime Minister Modi will deliver on his promise of inclusive growth.

Elections verdict: What's next for India?

A lively look at money, life and business from Delhi. Each week the BBC’s WorklifeIndia brings you a live conversation on the realities of modern life whether it’s business, technology, or creativity. "WorklifeIndia" is about making money but also about saving, spending and sharing what money can give and recognising the daily reality of a world of huge opportunities and huge differences in that opportunity. Live from Delhi, WorklifeIndia reflects on money, work, family, business and finance. Guests and panellists will be drawn from business experts across the city. The programme also takes advantage of the wealth of BBC expertise and talent in the Delhi and Mumbai bureaus, and draws on the Business Unit's expertise and contacts in London, New York and around the world.

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BBC Worklife India

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