The Story of DropTalk and Our Partnership with WELL Labs

It’s not often that you find a partner who understands your mission so deeply that collaboration feels less like work and more like a shared purpose. That’s exactly what happened when FluxGen partnered with Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs for DropTalk 2025. And at the heart of this partnership is someone I’ve admired for many years—Dr. Veena Srinivasan , Founder and Executive Director of WELL Labs.

I first came to know of Veena when I was transitioning from the solar PV sector into the world of water management. At the time, she was with ATREE, and I had begun following her work closely. Her scientific rigor, systems-level thinking, and deep commitment to the water sector were truly inspiring. Thanks to Dr. Sunderrajan Krishnan , I was introduced to her, and from there, to Shreya Nath , Sneha Singh B , and Shashank Palur —with whom we explored an exciting early collaboration.

Fast-forward a few years, and we were fortunate to have Veena deliver the keynote at DropTalk 2024, with Shreya also moderating a panel. Though that edition was a smaller, one-day event, the energy was electric. I walked away thinking: What if we could partner for something bigger next year?

That thought stayed with me until World Water Week in Stockholm, September 2024, where I finally asked Veena if she’d consider collaborating on DropTalk 2025. Without hesitation, she said yes.

From that moment, the journey was seamless. In December, Pavan Srinath visited the FluxGen office to align on ideas with Manasa S. , Shreem Kohli , Anisha Abraham and me. Within one conversation, it was clear: we were aligned—not just on vision, but on values.

What followed was months of joyful co-creation. I remember the WELL Labs Christmas party, where discussions about DropTalk bubbled up amid celebration. (Funnily enough, that I introduced Manasa to WELL Labs during 2023 Christmas Celebration at their office. I could already see her building bridges between us in the future.)

As I got pulled into the final stages of FluxGen’s fundraising journey, the collaboration took off—thanks to Manasa, Shreem, Anisha, and Pavan, who led weekly calls, with Veena and me joining occasionally. Soon, Nabina C. , Aparna, and Megha from WELL Labs, and Vasantha Subbiah , Rahul Upadhyay , Ram Aditya , and Gangadhara Shetty P J from FluxGen joined the crew.

By the final month, everyone from both organizations was involved. And here’s what stood out—we never signed an MoU. No agreements. Just mutual trust. Whether it was sharing budgets, inviting people, taking charge of logistics, or designing content, we worked in complete sync. Not a single conflict. Not a single misunderstanding.

That’s when I realized: when spirit, values, and intent are aligned—magic happens. And DropTalk 2025 was nothing less than magic.

WELL Labs brought in the richness of the nonprofit ecosystem—policymakers, researchers, NGOs, CSR professionals, and philanthropists. FluxGen brought in the entrepreneurial energy—startups, corporate leaders, venture capitalists, consultants. The full spectrum came together to combat one of the world’s greatest challenges—water sustainability.

To Veena, thank you—for your magnanimity, your trust, and for walking this path with us. This partnership is proof that when heart meets head, and science meets spirit, we move from conversation to movement.

DropTalk is no longer just an event. It’s becoming a movement for a Water Positive Future.

And with this partnership, that future feels not just possible—but inevitable.