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Boon’s WaterAI app wins iF Design Award 2026 for intuitive water insights
Award honours platform that turns complex water data into clear insights
MUMBAI: Water technology company Boon has scooped the prestigious iF Design Award 2026 for its WaterAI mobile application, a platform that transforms complex water quality data into an intuitive digital experience.
The award, given in the Mobile Application category, recognises the app’s ability to translate real time water information into a format that is easy to understand, visually engaging and meaningful for everyday users.
Founded in 1953, the iF Design Award is widely regarded as one of the world’s most respected design honours. The 2026 edition drew more than 10,000 entries from 68 countries. A jury of 129 international design and sustainability experts selected the winners after a detailed evaluation process, making the recognition particularly competitive.
For Boon, the award signals a shift in how water technology is presented to users. Instead of technical dashboards and complex monitoring systems, the WaterAI platform focuses on clarity, storytelling and everyday usability.
The app brings the hidden life of water to the surface by turning real time data on pH levels, total dissolved solids, pressure, temperature, flow and filter health into visual cues and interactive insights. The experience is designed to feel less like monitoring infrastructure and more like keeping an eye on daily wellbeing.
Built around Boon’s signature blue and orange design palette with green accents, the platform blends advanced monitoring technology with a clean, human centred interface. Users can track system performance, observe water quality trends and receive alerts when attention is required.
Boon founder and chief executive Advait Kumar, said the recognition validates the company’s belief that technology and design should work hand in hand.
“Winning the iF Design Award 2026 is a proud milestone for us. Water technology has traditionally been built around anxiety, contamination alerts and complex compliance dashboards. With WaterAI, we wanted to make the invisible visible and turn complex water data into something people can understand and engage with every day,” he said.
Launched in 2025, the WaterAI platform is already used by industry stakeholders across Africa, Asia and Europe. It forms part of Boon’s broader ecosystem that combines filtration technology, IoT monitoring and premium product design.
Today, the company’s technology is used by more than 400 corporates and hospitality properties across 11 countries, helping organisations track and maintain safer water systems in workplaces, hotels and public spaces.
The winners of the iF Design Award 2026 will be honoured at an official ceremony in Berlin on 27 April, where designers and innovators from around the world will gather to celebrate this year’s standout ideas.
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Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
