Tata Steel today announced that it had signed an MOU with Vivendi Water, the global leader in water and wastewater management services, towards setting up an operational joint venture. The joint venture company will deliver a sustainable water service driven both by quality and quantity to the city of Jamshedpur.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel, and Mr. Jean Claude Banon, Managing Director, Vivendi Water, UK & South Asia in the presence of senior Tata Steel and Vivendi Water executives.

Mr. Jean Claude Banon, Managing Director, Vivendi Water, UK & south Asia said, "We are indeed very proud and honoured that our first major venture in India is with Tata Steel. We look forward to creating a successful model here in Jamshedpur, which we can then take to the rest of India."

On signing the agreement, Mr.Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel said ,"This is a historic occasion for us. We are happy to partner with Vivendi Water for this very significant venture. We believe that it is the people involved in the partnership who make it work. Aimed at improving the quality and quantity of water for the city of Jamshedpur as well as increasing the coverage, we are confident that both Tata Steel and Vivendi Water have the experience and maturity to make a success of this JV."

Vivendi Water entered India in 1999. Since then it has undertaken several pioneering projects including a study of the urban water supply and wastewater treatment facilities in India. It is currently working with Calcutta Municipal Corporation to improve the city's water supply system through maximizing the potential of existing assets. Vivendi water is also a consultant to the Chennai Water Board for the entire water management cycle -both water supply and wastewater for the city of Chennai.

Vivendi Water, a subsidiary of Vivendi Environment, is the leading global provider of water and wastewater services for municipal authorities, industrial companies, and consumers. The company provides the entire range of outsourcing and design-build services, as well as equipment and systems. With operation in more than 100 countries, Vivendi Water serves over 110 million consumers and 40,000 industrial customers worldwide.