The word “nutrition” can mean many things. In the UK, the word might conjure images of protein powders or our five-a-day of fruit and veg. But nutrition is much more than that. Nutrition plays a crucial role in shaping the health and life chances of people around the world.
Malnutrition is the underlying cause of almost 50 per cent of child deaths around the world as it weakens the immune system, reducing resilience to disease outbreaks such as cholera and measles. This is equivalent to approximately 2.25 million children dying annually - more than the number of children under five in Spain, Poland, Greece, or Portugal.
In 2022, more than 50 per cent of the world’s 45 million children suffering from wasting - the deadliest form of malnutrition - lived in south Asia.
Beyond the tragic human cost, malnutrition is an enemy to economic growth. Malnutrition reduces school achievement and work productivity, costing us an estimated $2.4 trillion globally every year. The worst-affected nations lose up to 16 per cent of their GDP annually.
Ultimately, it increases dependence on international aid, when global pressures mean we have to ensure every penny of our aid budgets is delivering as effectively as possible.
We’re determined not to look away from this issue. We need a new development model that responds to the evolving global challenges we face. We need a modern approach that will help low- and middle-income countries in the fight against malnutrition, support a healthy population and become self-sufficient, by forming genuine, respectful partnerships.
Baroness Chapman
Afshan Khan
The UK has already supported new thinking, sharing ideas and finding what works, and cofounded the Child Nutrition Fund, which seeks to transform the way we finance action against malnutrition.
For example, unlocking local financing for producers of essential nutrition supplies and services in low- and middle-income countries, and match-funding governments’ contribution to double investments which go towards tackling nutrition.
The Child Nutrition Fund aims to reach 230 million children and 70 million women with life-saving support globally, including the provision of nutrition supplements, breastfeeding support, and treatments for child wasting.
At this week’s Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, the UK is continuing that leadership. Along with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and partners from around the world, the UK has launched a Global Compact on Nutrition Integration.
It focuses on thinking about nutrition as part of all we do, rather than trying to tackle it as a standalone issue. A new coalition, including the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany will embed nutrition objectives into wider government policies. This approach will help better leverage existing support for maximum impact and accelerate progress towards a world free from malnutrition.
We know this works. In Bangladesh, thinking about nutrition alongside prenatal and childhood vaccination programmes has helped bring under-five child mortality down 80 per cent. In Sierra Leone, the government has integrated nutrition into agricultural policies, successfully reducing impaired growth due to malnutrition by more than three per cent.
However, to reduce child malnutrition to zero, we need to mobilise and work globally. The Global Compact for Nutrition Integration will unite countries and partner organisations in setting and implementing more ambitious commitments. The first signatories include Cambodia, Nepal, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Lesotho and organisations like the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and others.
Doing nothing would be a disaster. But if we tackle this issue together - millions of lives could be saved and trillions of dollars put back into the global economy.
At the Nutrition for Growth summit, we’re rising to the challenge. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s pivotal to the health and prosperity of us all.
(Baroness Chapman is the UK minister for international development and Afshan Khan is the coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement)
Charles Minard's iconic flow map illustrating Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia, highlighting the vast distances and severe lossesAge of Revolution
Vivid depiction of the Kurukshetra battlefield, showcasing Arjuna and Krishna in the chariot amidst the chaos of warAmazon 
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)