India’s air quality crisis has reached an alarming tipping point. With AQI levels spiking sharply across regions, what was once perceived as a predominantly North Indian problem over the past four to five years has now evolved into a nationwide concern. From metros to Tier II cities, polluted air has become a year-round reality, intensifying public anxiety around health and long-term well-being.
One outcome of this growing crisis has been the surge in the demand for air purifiers, a category that barely existed a decade ago. According to Ken Research, the Indian air purifier market is currently valued at USD 1.1 billion, driven by worsening pollution levels and increasing health awareness among consumers. Demand is especially strong in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with HEPA-based purifiers dominating the market due to heightened concerns around PM2.5 pollutants.
Yet, despite rapid market growth and the air purifier increasingly being positioned as a household essential, the category remains curiously absent from mainstream advertising. Large-scale campaigns are few and far between. This raises a critical question: Do brands view air purifiers as panic-driven, distress purchases that don’t require sustained advertising? Or are there regulatory, policy, or category-specific constraints that discourage brands from investing in mass media communication?
Anurag Kumar, Chief Growth Officer, Eureka Forbes, points out that air purifiers remain a relatively niche category in India. Unlike FMCG or year-round appliance segments, demand here is highly seasonal, with the purchase cycle compressed into a 10–12 week window, largely triggered by sudden AQI spikes. “In such a scenario, heavy national ATL (Above The Line) investments particularly television and large-format OOH are not the most efficient,” he notes.
Kumar further explains that ‘Consumer Search Behaviour’ in the category is intensely contextual. Most buyers actively seek information when pollution levels worsen, turning to digital platforms, retail touchpoints, and credible reviews to understand and compare options. As a result, brands prioritise targeted, high-intent marketing over broad-reach ATL campaigns. “We see significantly stronger ROI through influencer advocacy, retail demonstrations, e-commerce visibility, and city-focused print interventions that directly reference real-time air quality data,” he adds.
Echoing a similar viewpoint, Trevor Kuna, Chief Marketing Officer, QNET Ltd, whose HomePure range specialises in air purifiers, believes the category does not require aggressive seasonal advertising, especially during winter. “That’s the one time of year when people don’t need a marketing push. They already feel the problem,” he says. “The air feels heavier, someone in the house starts coughing, and windows stay shut. Instead of shouting over that reality, we focus on explaining it,” he explains.
According to Kuna, QNET’s communication strategy is anchored in education rather than urgency. The brand follows an evidence-led approach, clearly outlining what indoor air pollution is, why it worsens during winter months, and what an air purifier can and cannot realistically do inside a home. Digital platforms, he explains, provide the necessary depth to communicate these nuances. “The air purifier category needs understanding, not exposure,” Kuna adds. “A 20-second television spot can’t explain filtration technologies, room sizing, air changes per hour, or certifications. At best, it creates noise and noise doesn’t build trust.”
Air purifiers in India are largely bought in moments of panic when AQI levels spike suddenly, and polluted air becomes impossible to ignore. For most consumers, the purchase is distress-driven rather than planned, raising a key question: In a category triggered by urgency, where does long-term brand building fit in?
Shivaji Das Gupta, Founder and Managing Director, INEXGRO Brand Advisory, argues that this behaviour is not unique to air purifiers. “The same pattern exists for air conditioners and heaters,” he says. “Indian consumers typically wait for direct provocation before buying. These are not advance-planned purchases, and the behaviour is largely unconnected to brand building.”
According to Das Gupta, while awareness-building for such categories can and should happen year-round, brand activity needs to shift gears during peak periods. “In-season communication must have a strong call to action,” he notes, adding that this also needs to be backed by adequate inventory. “When demand is driven by immediacy, availability becomes as critical as advertising,” he opines.
With technological advancements, some air conditioners now have built-in air purifiers. Panasonic’s smart range of air conditioners features Nanoe-G and Nanoe-X Air Purification Technologies. According to the company, the air conditioners are equipped with advanced air purification technology and can be operated during add off-season without turning on the cooling mode.
Tarun Singh Chauhan, Founder, TSC Consulting, believes that brands and product companies have not made sustained investments to grow the air purifier category itself. According to him, the market cannot scale unless brands first educate consumers on why the product is necessary. “Awareness has to come before demand,” he says, adding that without clearly communicating the problem, the category will remain limited in size.
Chauhan sees a significant opportunity in air purifiers, drawing a parallel with the water purifier segment. He points out that brands like Aquaguard invested heavily in defining the problem of unsafe drinking water before selling the solution. “Once consumers understood the risk, the category grew organically,” he notes.
Chauhan believes a similar approach, clearly defining the problem of polluted indoor air, could unlock the air purifier market in India.
Air purifier advertising: A regulatory grey area?
Air purifiers operate in a sensitive communication space where trust, science, and regulation intersect. With rising consumer awareness and tighter scrutiny around health claims, brands are being forced to tread carefully especially in how they position efficacy and outcomes.
Kumar highlights that air purifiers belong to a category where scientific credibility is non-negotiable. “Our communication aligns strictly with regulatory expectations and scientific accuracy. We consciously avoid exaggerated health claims,” he says, underlining the importance of evidence-led messaging.
Kuna adds that regulatory constraints have also influenced the brand’s media strategy, limiting its presence on traditional ATL platforms. “Our standard is simple: if we can’t back it up, we don’t say it. We rely on accredited testing and align with recognised requirements,” he notes.
Future of the category?
Chauhan says Colgate’s rise to a higher market share was no accident. The brand built a habit by repeatedly educating consumers that not brushing twice a day leads to tooth decay. Fear, education, and routine together helped create the category. He adds that air purifier brands appear to be waiting for pollution levels to worsen instead of actively building the category, a passive approach that rarely works.
Kuna points out that demand for air purifiers is currently concentrated in metros and Tier I cities. However, he notes a gradual shift in emerging cities as awareness grows. “As the market widens, our reach will widen too. But the approach won’t change: we will stay precise, factual, and ensure the message is genuinely useful,” he says.
Kumar views air purifiers as a strong long-term growth opportunity. “With increasing urbanisation, expanding construction activity, and persistently high pollution levels across Indian cities, the category is moving from niche to mainstream. Our high double-digit year-on-year growth reflects this transition,” he explains.
Given this trajectory, Kumar adds that the company is consciously balancing brand-building with performance-led marketing. “The goal is to shift air purifiers from being a crisis-driven purchase to a planned, preventive health investment backed by strong brand equity, scientific credibility, and accessible pricing,” he highlights.
As household priorities evolve, products like water purifiers have already become essentials. Air purifiers now appear to be on a similar path. One can only hope the future doesn’t demand a ‘fire purifier’ as the next necessity.
