Coca-Cola brings water to India

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If there’s one thing a traveler can count on, it’s that almost anywhere on this planet, you can find a Coke. Development folks have realized that the soft drink company’s skills at distributing clean liquids regularly and reliably could be useful. The U.N. Human Settlements Programme has just inked a partnership with Coca-Cola to expand access to clean drinking water in urban areas in two Indian states and nearby areas in Nepal. The joint efforts will include rainwater harvesting demonstration projects, water management advice, and water provision for schools.

The deal is probably smart marketing for Coca-Cola, which only last year had to fight off attempts at a ban on its products fueled by nationalist sentiment. It’s also a smart move for India, though. Its notorious bureaucracy and developmental state has been a failure at improving the lives of its citizens, while its growing private sector has lifted millions out of poverty. Harnessing private know-how to kick-start development is much more likely to succeed.