Air purifier demand jumps up to 20-fold as AQI spikes in Delhi, Mumbai

Rising air pollution levels are choking the breath of cities in North India

Worsening air quality has led to a surge in demand for air purifiers in urban markets, including tier 2 cities, with areas such as the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Delhi that has one of the highest outdoor pollution levels, seeing a twenty-fold jump in demand, manufacturers and e-commerce companies have said.

Over the last few days, several cities, especially in the north and the west of the country, have seen air quality deteriorate as temperatures dip, with many recording “very poor” to “severe” air quality index (AQI) readings.

"Over the past several weeks, demand has surged sharply across all channels, as pollution levels worsened. Delhi-NCR continues to drive the highest demand, while Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata are also seeing strong growth. Importantly, a large share of this demand is coming from first-time buyers," said Anurag Kumar, Chief Growth Officer, Eureka Forbes.

Air laden with toxins also causes respiratory distress and long-term exposure can lead to lung and cardiovascular diseases. There has been a growing concern over deteriorating air quality, which leaves children and the elderly particularly vulnerable.

Online retailers are seeing a five-fold surge in demand than any typical day, with many offering same-day delivery to cash in on the increased demand.

The surge suggests the category is no longer seen as a seasonal purchase, but as something consumers engage with throughout the year.

AQI.in data shows Mumbai's overall AQI at 277, a sharp drop from the moderate readings seen earlier in November. Residents have reported irritation in their eyes, a faint burning smell and hazy skylines, indicating high PM2.5 levels.

Delhi’s air quality worsened again on December 1, just a day after strong winds offered brief relief. The AQI climbed back to 298 close to the “very poor” range at 7 am, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows.

"We’ve witnessed a strong 5X increase in air purifiers compared to typical days and Delhi-NCR is witnessing a sharp 20X surge. We also saw a 2.5X rise in Mumbai and Kolkata,” said KN Srikanth, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors, Amazon India.

There has also been an increase in demand from Tier 2 cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow and Patna, indicating growing consumer awareness around indoor air quality, Srikanth said.

The e-commerce major recorded an immediate 150 percent surge in premium air purifiers (above Rs 20,000) versus a normal day, followed by a 75 percent growth in the economy segment (below Rs 10,000) and a 70 percent spike in mid-range (Rs 10,000–20,000). The segment-wise growth is factored into the overall growth, Amazon India said.

Delhi’s search interest for air purifiers remained close to zero through September but picked up sharply in October and surged through November as air quality deteriorated, Google Trends data shows. Searches jumped from negligible levels in early September to repeated spikes above 80–100 by mid-November, mirroring the rise in PM2.5 and AQI readings in the city, data shows.

Searches for air purifiers in Maharashtra began rising earlier than in most other states, with a noticeable bump from early September. Interest kept strengthening through October and November, according to Google search trends.

"We anticipated this year’s pollution cycle early and proactively built up inventory across our omnichannel network. A few high-velocity models may require more frequent replenishment due to exceptional offtake, but our supply chain, ecommerce partners and retail partners are aligned to ensure consistent availability," Kumar added.

Eureka Forbes expects sustained momentum as winter progresses.