Concern about arsenic in groundwater led three young innovators in Patna toward an engineering problem with direct public-health consequences. Arpit Kumar, Abhijeet Kumar and Shambhavi Sinha began exploring water treatment at Bihar Bal Bhawan Kilkari. What started with borrowed resources and a school science project became the foundation of Navmarg Research & Innovation.
A magnetic approach to arsenic removal
The October 2026 issue describes a Magnetic Arsenic Removal Unit that uses specially designed magnetic separation systems. Its aim is to reduce arsenic contamination while limiting dependence on conventional chemical treatment. The project required work in materials, engineering design and water-quality testing. Arpit focused on chemistry and innovation strategy, Abhijeet on hardware and engineering, and Shambhavi on monitoring and data analysis.
A working concept alone is not enough for drinking water. Treatment must be dependable at different sites, affordable for communities and regularly tested to confirm that the output meets applicable safety standards. The magazine notes this challenge and describes Navmarg's progression from early experiments toward field testing and installations. It attributes reported community deployments to the company's own published account.
From school project to clean-technology venture
Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow programme supported the team as it developed the idea further, according to the profile. The founders' goal was not originally to start a company; it was to respond to unsafe water in communities around them. Entrepreneurship became a way to organise the research, refine the system and seek practical applications.
The division of work within the team is notable. Chemistry identifies an approach to separating contaminants; engineering turns the idea into equipment; monitoring helps establish what happens outside a laboratory. Each piece is needed before a water-treatment system can be judged in daily use. Navmarg's story is therefore one of collaboration as well as youthful invention.
Navmarg's journey shows how curiosity can lead students into public-interest technology. Its ultimate impact will depend on transparent testing, maintenance and access where the need is greatest. Read the magazine's October profile for the story behind the venture.