Government promotes Delhi startup's anti-pollution helmet

Delhi-based Shellios Technolabs has raised thousands of dollars from state agencies, and is in the midst of creating a new version of their 2019 motorcycle helmet that reduces the effects of air pollution for the wearer. The company says it will be released in a few months.

According to Reuters, the government is now promoting the helmet created by Shellios. India's science and technology ministry says the helmet offers "a breath of fresh air for bikers".

The company claims that an independent test conducted in New Delhi verified that the helmet filters out 80 percent of pollutants in the air, while a Reuters test in 2019 showed that the helmet reduces the prevalence of the damaging PM 2.5 airborne particles from 43.1 micrograms per cubic metre outside to 8.1 micrograms for the wearer.

Founder Amit Pathak first began designing these helmets in his basement in 2015 when Delhi's air pollution started making headlines. While he declined to provide current revenue numbers, he said that he believes there is an annual demand for 30 million helmets, and there is also interest in foreign markets such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

This report has not been independently verified by YourStory.

At the moment, the helmets weigh 1.5 kilograms, which is heavier than regular helmets, and cost Rs 4,500, which is four times the average price of a regular helmet. The new version will be built from thermoplastic rather than fibreglass, which is expected to bring down both the weight and cost.