Breathe In, Breathe Out…
China is already ahead of all the markets in combating air pollution, according to a latest Chinese report a world’s biggest experimental tower (over 100 metres) has been built in Northern China and its really working. Here in India too especially after festive season a layer of smog in the big cities sky-rocketed the sales of masks and air purifier. This also gives opportunity to in country and global air purifier brands to get some business done although; it’s still a restricted market here.
Growing manufacturing units, increasing automobiles on the roads emitting harmful gases, deforestation, etc., are polluting the Indian environment resulting into various respiratory diseases. This is, consequently, driving the need for air purifiers in the country. The air pollution level is increasing at a robust pace mainly in the cities such as Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. Presently, India is a relatively untapped market for air purifiers with miniscule penetration across commercial, residential and institutional segments. As a result, the market holds opportunities for domestic as well as international players. Consequently, the demand for air purifiers in India over the next five years is expected to grow.
Market Scenario in India
According to TechSci Research report, the Indian air purifier market is projected to witness a CAGR of around 50% during 2014-19. In India, the demand for air purifiers is highest in the commercial sector, followed by institutional sector. Residential sector accounts for a nominal share due to low product awareness among the consumers and high cost of air purifiers. HEPA based air purifiers are in highest demand due to its high efficiency, zero by-products emission and rising acceptability across all sectors. Leading air purifier companies in India are like Eureka Forbes, Sharp India, LG, Panasonic, Honeywell, Atlanta Healthcare, Crusaders Technologies, etc. import air purifiers from their offshore locations such as China and other ASEAN nations including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
that air pollution causes and/or triggers their ailments and air purifiers in their indoor spaces and an easy way to buy better health and a safe indoor environment. This is just like the water pollution story which started 20 years ago when people starting suffering from water borne diseases during the monsoon season. Water filtration, which started as a seasonal business during the monsoon season is now in almost every home across urban India.
Jai Dhar Gupta, Founder of Nirvana Being on this thought says, “For Cities in the North Indian Indo-Gangetic plain, it is becoming quite clear that the air quality is very poor to hazardous for 300 days in the year. Delhi saw all of 1 safe air quality day in 2017, and this is while the Indian National Safety level is set substantially higher that the WHO safe level of air quality. In the absence of any political and/or citizen action to reverse air pollution, residents have no option but to procure air purifiers to buy quality of life.”
“I think people are reconciling to the fact that while we ran out of clean water and healthy pesticide free food a while ago, now we’ve also run out of clean air to breathe!” he added.
While according to PKSV Sagar, Managing Director of Camfil India, “Air Purifiers were used as sumptuous commodity in Indian market and has shifted to a necessity these days for people who are health conscious and aware of ill effects of air pollution. Specifically, when we discuss about past 2 years, manifold rise in pollution and its awareness among people had raised demand almost twice as it was in 2015.”
Air Quality is deteriorating day by day. Delhi NCR is enveloped in smog, with air quality plunging to the ‘severe’ category. It is around this time of the year that Delhi’s air quality starts deteriorating with the adverse weather conditions facilitating the concentration of toxic gases and ultra fine particles. Levels of airborne pollutants are off the scale in parts of India’s capital with effects likened to smoking 50 cigarettes a day. It can precipitate an acute asthma attack and in the long run it will increase their risk of lung cancer.
As awareness of the problem in Delhi has grown, various methods have been recommended to protect themselves from this Gas Chamber. The methods include Air Pollution masks and installing an Air Purifier indoors. In view of high pollution levels in Delhi few days back, group of doctors from top hospitals has also issued an advisory suggesting people, especially elders, to avoid morning walks, and even recommending installing an air purifier in home.
Rajeev Bhutani, Vice President-- Consumer Sales in Samsung India also admits that the market for air purifiers is growing at a moderate pace and has a lot of scope for expansion. Technology offerings, product pricing, and after-sales service will be the key differentiators for the participants in the future.
On the current scenario of air purifier in the Indian Market Dr. Mahesh Gupta, CMD, KENT RO Systems Ltd. says that the air purifier market is still on a nascent stage. “Seasonality, pricing, lack of standards, right technology and awareness are some of the factors that have taken a toll on the growth of the nascent category. A lot of awareness has to be generated in order to educate customers with the pros & cons of using Air Purifiers.” While to tap Indian market in this area Kent RO has been promoting the products on all channels, be it Electronic, Print, Radio, and Digital.
Girish Bapat, Sales Director for West & South Asia at BlueAir has also same thoughts he says, “The nascent air purifier market in the country is pegged at Rs 350 crore that clocked a growth of approx. 40 per cent this calendar year, with more than 30 brands vying for a share at present. The air purifying companies are considering India as a future potential and expecting the fledgling air purifier industry to be around Rs 1,000 crore market in the next three years.”
Indians living with chronic allergies, respiratory problems, asthma, heart disease, are waking up to the reality