New Delhi: The hazardous smog shrouding Delhi and its surrounding regions has triggered a significant increase in sales for air purifier manufacturers.
With deteriorating air quality, companies are reporting a surge in customer inquiries and heightened demand, not only from the Delhi-NCR area but also from Mumbai and parts of eastern India.
Online retailers have also witnessed a surge in searches for air purifiers, with some platforms, such as Swiggy Instamart, reporting an astonishing 3,233% increase in searches for air purifiers compared to the same period in October. To meet this demand, companies like Philips, Kent RO, Xiaomi, Daikin, and Havells have increased their stocks of air purifiers.
The surge in sales is attributed to a sudden escalation in air pollution levels this year. As air quality worsens in the region, individuals are increasingly recognising the need for air purifiers to combat the polluted air.
Mahesh Gupta, CMD of Kent RO Systems Ltd, noted, "In the past 4-5 days, we have witnessed a 15-20% increase in demand as people anticipated the need for a solution to combat the polluted air."
A spokesperson for Xiaomi mentioned, "There has been a strong spike in demand for air purifiers. This week alone, we witnessed a 10x increase in sales. With other metros like Mumbai seeing a rise in Air Quality Index (AQI) levels, the category itself has grown 40-50% through the year, compared to 2022."
Delhi's air quality has remained in the 'severe' category for six consecutive days, with an air quality index of 421.
The authorities have imposed stringent measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including a ban on construction work and the entry of polluting trucks into the city. Furthermore, fines of Rs 20,000 are being imposed on the operation of old diesel or petrol vehicles and trucks carrying non-essential goods in the national capital.