At the heart of Konarak’s story is Raghunandan Prasad—a quiet disruptor with the mind of an engineer and the clarity of a changemaker. With degrees in industrial engineering and an MBA from ISB, he’s spent years translating complex systems into everyday empowerment. Under his leadership, Konarak Meters isn’t just crunching numbers—it’s reshaping daily life for over 12.9 million people, tracking 900 million liters of water across cities.
“Smart meters aren’t just about infrastructure,” he noted. “They’re about empowerment. When people see what’s happening, they start owning the solution. Smart metering brings dignity to water management,” Prasad emphasized. “It shifts power from systems to people—and that’s what makes it sustainable.””
That shift—from passive utility to personal responsibility—is finding its way into policy too. Cities are rewriting building codes, incentivizing leak-free homes, and rewarding efficient usage. From Bengaluru’s BBMP to Mumbai’s MCGM, smart metering isn’t just adopted—it’s embedded. Through a mix of tech, trust, and timing, Prasad is turning water—India’s most stressed resource—into a shared conversation. Not forced. Just felt.
Residents at Live Space Apartments now track their water usage in real time
At Live Space Apartments in Bengaluru, water waste wasn’t just a utility issue—it was a quiet daily burden. That changed when Konarak’s smart meters showed residents what was hiding in plain sight: leaks from flush tanks, silent drips, and habits no one questioned. Suddenly, water had a face—yours, mine, everyone’s. With real-time insights, people felt in control, not helpless. Tankers stopped rolling in. Conversations began around accountability. It wasn’t just plumbing—it was pride. What started as a tech fix grew into shared purpose, making water personal again. In every apartment, in every choice, the message was clear: this water matters.
For the residents of Live Space Apartments, water wasn’t just a utility—it was a silent struggle. Long lines for tanker refills, unpredictable supply, and shared blame for rising usage had become routine. That changed when a partnership with Konarak Meters brought in LoRa-WAN smart water meters, turning the invisible into insight. The shift wasn’t loud, but it was deeply personal.
“We didn’t want tech that simply automates,” said Raghunandan Prasad, MD of Konarak Meters. “We wanted awareness. When you see the data, you start asking the right questions. Residents went from passive consumers to informed stewards. Water became a conversation—between data, decisions, and daily habits.”
What Smart Meters Made Visible
For years, water at Live Space Apartments flowed unnoticed—shared bills masked individual habits, and leaks quietly drained both resources and trust. No one knew who was using how much, and fixing anything felt like chasing shadows. But then, Konarak’s smart meters lifted the veil. Suddenly, data told stories: a garden watered too generously, a flush tank that never stopped dripping, a shower that stretched into luxury.
“Earlier, water was used freely and blamed collectively,” Prasad shared. “Now, it’s visible, trackable, and personal. People fix what they once ignored. It’s not just data—it’s behavioral insight. And that’s what drives change.”
With AI learning the rhythms of each home, the system began to whisper ahead of time—"something’s off, check now." It didn’t just measure water—it nudged behavior, sparked conversations, and quietly rewired habits.
Managing Real-Life Complexities
Live Space Apartments wasn’t built for smart tech—it was built for people, long before IoT entered daily vocabulary. Narrow ducts, aging pipes, and signal black zones made installation more maze than mission. Earlier systems struggled to reach every flat, leaving gaps that bred doubt. But Konarak’s team leaned into the challenge, not around it.
“You don’t change the building—you change how tech navigates it,” said Prasad. “Even where earlier meters failed, our signal reached. We got blamed first—but once leaks were fixed, trust was earned,” he added. “That’s the cycle: data, doubt, dialogue, and trust.”
As readings came in, some numbers seemed alarmingly high. Suspicion crept in. Was the tech wrong? But the truth, found in slow-draining flush tanks and leaky fittings, told another story. What began as installation became introspection—residents rethinking the water they couldn’t see but always relied on.
