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Suvidha Centres: Transforming urban sanitation

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HUL’s replicable Suvidha Centres pave the way for best-in-class and sustainable community sanitation.

Suvidha Centre.

In line with the country’s goals on Swachh Bharat Mission that revolutionised urban sanitation and waste management in India, HUL launched the Suvidha Centre initiative in 2016 in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). With 23 centres operational today, Suvidha demonstrates HUL’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility. With the mission to foster an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces all genders, abilities, and diverse needs, Suvidha Centres have catalysed a transformative journey in community sanitation.

The Centres offer safe and dignified access to clean toilets, drinking water, showers and laundromat services to urban informal settlements in Mumbai. Today, Suvidha Centres cater to more than 5.5 lakh people and have saved 200 million litres of water cumulatively through water-saving technologies. There has been a 50% reduction in the incidences of illnesses like gastrointestinal, diarrhoea, and Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) in Suvidha users.

The sustainability of the initiative can be gauged from the fact that all Suvidha Centres break even operationally within nine months of inception. The design principles on which Suvidha Centres are built, such as inclusivity, safety, environmental sustainability, financial operations and maintenance can be replicated for any public sanitation and hygiene facility.

Challenges in community hygiene

One of the major challenges facing our world today is that of providing access to sanitation to all its people. As the world urbanises, many individuals move to cities in search of a livelihood. There are estimates that 1 in 4 people in the world will live in an informal urban settlement by 2030. Community Toilets present a practical alternative, especially where space constraints or lack of ownership rights make household toilets unfeasible.

However, Community Toilets frequently encounter a cycle of underutilisation driven by several factors: poor cleanliness leads to low user satisfaction and lack of ownership, which in turn results in reduced use, vandalism, and instability. These challenges directly impact the effective operation and maintenance of community sanitation services.

toilet bay at HUL’s Suvidha Centre

Breaking the cycle with Suvidha

The Suvidha Centres aim to break the cycle of underutilisation by establishing a virtuous model rooted in a holistic, human-centered design. These Centres prioritise the safety of women and children and foster strong community partnerships. Through robust community engagement and efficient operational processes, Suvidha Centres deliver high user satisfaction and improved health outcomes. Notably, all Suvidha Centres in Mumbai are self-sustaining in their operations.

Children in front of a Suvidha Centre.

A public private partnership for better public sanitation

The Suvidha Centre model is a public-private partnership with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), HSBC India and JSW Foundation. While the Centres are co-funded by HSBC India and JSW Foundation, BMC provides expertise and unwavering support in the development and implementation of the Suvidha model, playing a critical role in shaping the model into an inclusive and impactful solution.

Two happy women outside a women's toilet.

Our partnership with HUL is a demonstration of what we can achieve together to combat the pressing problems of urban sanitation. We look forward to continuing our efforts across the water, hygiene and sanitation value chain and would like to thank all involved stakeholders for their efforts and drive in making a difference.

Hitendra Dave, CEO, HSBC India

Our partnership with HUL and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to establish 10 state-of-the-art Suvidha centres in Mumbai reiterates our commitment to empower local communities and pave the way for a brighter future, particularly for women and children. Through this partnership with HUL, we are fostering a collective social action to further expand the network of Suvidha centres in the city with the aim to provide fresh drinking water and other sanitation services to low-income communities residing in Mumbai city.

Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, JSW Foundation
A woman in blue shirt standing and smiling with the Suvidha signboard above her head

Return on Investment

The estimated return on investment for time saved by using Suvidha Centre services is ₹15 for every rupee invested in the centres.

These outcomes highlight the success of Suvidha Centres in promoting safety, health, and sustainability within urban communities.

Climate resilience at the heart of the model

A recent study by Dalberg Advisors (2025) also highlights the transformative impact of Suvidha's multi-faceted approach on building climate resilience across its communities (especially women). Suvidha bolsters climate-resilient sanitation systems and reduces community exposure to risk and hazards. The model, further, empowers its communities to tackle climate change while addressing vulnerability, thereby fostering circularity, sustainability, and inclusivity.

Two little girls smiling at each other

Suvidha, a widely celebrated model

Suvidha has also gained recognition as a case study by esteemed organisations such as the World Economic Forum, Harvard Kennedy School and was also featured at COP28. Through a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), HUL is expanding Suvidha's impact to other cities.

Suvidha Centre amenities at a glance

A lady worker at HUL Suvidha centre in the laundromat section

Laundromat

toilet bay at HUL’s Suvidha Centre

Toilets

Shower station at the HUL Suvidha Centre

Shower stations

A woman at the handwashing station at the HUL Suvidha centre

Handwashing stations

Water ATM at HUL Suvidha Centre

Safe drinking water

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