Demand for air purifiers has witnessed a surge as air quality, especially in Delhi-NCR, dropped to hazardous levels, according to manufacturers of the product.

Companies, including Kent RO Systems, Xiaomi, and LG Electronics India, said in the festive season, air purifiers sales grew up to 50 per cent as the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi and the adjoining moved towards an alarming level.

Like the previous year, the appliance makers have witnessed growth in the last 2-3 weeks in sales and enquiries for air-purifiers and expect a further uptick with the increase in the AQI index in the coming weeks.

Air purifier is a very small segment of the appliances market and its sales generally peaks in October and November, when the pollution level in North India, particularly Delhi NCR, and some other parts worsens due to stubble burning and Diwali celebrations.

LG Electronics India Senior VP- Home Appliances Sanjay Chitkara said: ”As Delhi battles one of its worst pollution seasons yet, suddenly the demand for air purifiers has surged in Delhi NCR”.

The city's AQI has crossed hazardous levels, with pollutants that are much smaller than the common PM2.5 particles, making them extremely dangerous and hard to filter out, he said.

Kent RO Systems CMD Mahesh Gupta said sales of air purifiers and filters witnessed a significant surge during the winter months in India, coinciding with the deterioration in air quality.

The alarming levels of pollution, especially in the northern regions, create a sense of urgency among consumers to protect their health, he said

"During the festive season, we observe a noticeable increase in sales of about 20- 25 per cent as consumers become more conscious of indoor air quality and their overall well-being," he said.

Xiaomi said amid rising pollution levels, particularly in the North region, there has been a noticeable shift in consumer behaviour, with a growing focus on health and cleaner indoor environments.

"This has driven a sharp rise in Xiaomi's air purifier & air purifier filter sales, with numbers climbing over 50 per cent higher than usual in the past month," said a Xiaomi spokesperson.

According to a report from EMR, the India air purifier market size attained a value of Rs 777.75 crore in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.30 per cent between 2024 and 2032, it said.

Some of the makers such as Panasonic and Daikin have either scaled down their presence in the segment or have exited due to below-expectation growth and seasonal sales.

British tech firm Dyson, a global market leader in the premium range of air purifiers said, "With the continued spike in pollution, it's important for people to take proactive measures to protect their family members from the harmful effects of smog and pollutants. To safeguard themselves from the AQI outside, many restrict their movement and prefer to stay indoors."

Last month, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had criticised air purifier manufacturers for making false claims about their products, and called for increased consumer awareness ahead of winter when air pollution worsens in Delhi due to crop stubble burning in neighbouring states.

He had expressed concern over misleading marketing tactics adopted by some air purifier companies.