These Delhi-based startups offer innovative solutions to combat rising air pollution

A slew of startups have come up with products designed to improve the air quality, and have also found a huge business opportunity in them.

Poor air quality in Delhi is no more limited to winters or weather activities like dust storms.

According to the World Air Quality Index, air quality in Delhi touched hazardous levels in June 2018, with areas in the national capital registering an air quality index value (a composite measure of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate pollution) of 999.

Experts say that exposure to high levels of air pollutants raises the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and multiple other health conditions. However, India’s alarming pollution levels posed a significant market opportunity for global brands. Big players like Honeywell, Havells, Daikin, Panasonic, and many others have entered the Indian market with their anti-pollution offerings.

Several startups have also entered to disrupt India’s air purification market with affordable and made-for-India air quality monitors, masks, purifiers, and other products.

YourStory takes a look at five such Delhi-based cleantech startups who are on a mission to help residents fight pollution and breathe easy.

Nirvana Being: Incepted in 2015 by Wharton Business School alumnus Jaidhar Gupta, Nirvana Being offers a range of innovative anti-pollution products and solutions – Vogmask (multilayered mask offered in single and double valve), Laser Egg (smart air quality monitor), PuraCar (car air purifier), and Airgle (room air purifier). These products can be purchased from its website at a starting price of Rs 2,000. The startup also offers two solutions/services – Re-charge and Pure, which treats indoor air quality (treatment of air) and indoor environment quality (treatment of air and surfaces).

Kurin Systems: Launched in 2015, Kurin Systems was started by the makers of the first Android-based watch in India – Pavneet Singh Puri and Madhur Mehta. Currently bootstrapped, Kurin Systems offers different air purifiers for rooms, cars, offices, and living area, priced in the range of Rs 4,999 and Rs 28,999. The purifiers reportedly come with laser sensor air quality monitoring and display systems, along with touchscreen operation, Wifi support and app control. Kurin Systems claims to have the most advanced filtration system with four levels of filtration.

Bonphul Air Products: Founded by Prodyut Bora and Narendra Bisht, Bonphul Air Products manufactures oxygen optimisers that increases the level of oxygen in indoor air and improving air quality. Started in 2017, the first product that the duo built was an oxygen optimiser - OxyMax, which the founders claim is different from the other popular air-purifiers. While an air purifier removes dust particles, an oxygen optimiser adds oxygen to the air. The bootstrapped company claims to have 400 prospective customers, which includes a Mumbai-based leading real-estate developer.

BreatheFresh: Launched in 2017 by Gaurav Arora and Bhawani Bhateja, BreatheFresh offers indoor air purification solutions that are reportedly natural and chemical-free. Currently bootstrapped, the company’s core offering is Vayu Natural, a bag made of high-quality charcoal fabric that absorbs harmful pollutants and smoke particles present in the air. The company claims that Vayu Natural can also absorb bacteria like E. Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus. BreatheFresh products are available on Amazon and Flipkart, as well as the company’s website, and are priced between Rs 600 to Rs 2,000.

Smart Air Filters: In a quest to discover affordable yet effective air purifiers, Smart Air Filters was founded by a PhD student Thomas Talhelm in 2013. The startup entered the Indian market in 2015, and is currently based out of Delhi and Beijing. It offers a low-cost DIY air purifier kit, which starts at Rs 2,100. Smart Air Filters produces indoor air purifiers and pollution masks that it claims are 95 percent effective in trapping PM2.5 particles, the primary air pollutant in cities. The company also has its presence in Nepal, Philippines, Mongolia, and others.