Groundwater supplies 60 per cent of the water for irrigation in India and 85 per cent of rural water supply relies upon groundwater. Accordingly, poverty reduction, rural development and sustainable food production in India rely upon the long-term availability of groundwater in sufficient quantity and quality. Efficient groundwater resource management is therefore of high priority in India. As part of the Environment Component of the EU-India Action Plan Support Facility, the aim of this report is to provide input for enhanced policies, legislation and instruments for groundwater management in India.