Air purifier searches jumped by 103 per cent pan-India as pollution worsened

Indiarsquos winter pollution worsened across major metros in late 2025 with government monitoring agencies reporting sustained deterioration in air qualityAccording to the Central Pollution Control Board CPCB Delhi repeatedly slipped into the Severe and Severe Plus categories during November and December triggering stricter measures under the Graded Response Action Plan GRAP Air Quality Index AQI levels crossed 400 on multiple occasions far exceeding safe limitsMumbai while typically less affected than the capital also saw air quality decline Monitoring stations across the city recorded Poor to Very Poor AQI levels during peak winter weeks particularly in hightraffic and industrial areas indicating that pollution stress is no longer limited to north IndiaAgainst this backdrop consumer search behaviour across urban India points to a clear shift towards both preventive and compliancedriven responses From protecting indoor air quality to meeting vehicular emission standards urban consumers are acting with increased urgency and awarenessAccording to data from Indian search engine Justdial searches linked to pollutionrelated categories recorded a sharp rise during OctoberndashNovemberndashDecember 2025 ONDrsquo25 To assess this behavioural shift the search engine compared search trends between 2025 and 2024 as well as with the preceding quarter JulyndashAugustndashSeptember 2025Searches for air purifier dealers surged significantly across the country underlining growing concern around indoor air safety amid deteriorating outdoor air qualityPanIndia searches rose 103 per cent yearonyear while demand intensified sharply in recent months with the searches becoming six times the levels in 2025Delhi emerged as the strongest city recording a 134 per cent increase compared to 2024 with November 2025 alone witnessing a sixfold jump over October 2025 reflecting the immediate impact of worsening air conditions Other urban centres such as Gurgaon and Mumbai also saw notable spikes pointing to a broader metropolitan responseAlongside indoor air solutions searches for Pollution Under Control PUC Testing also recorded consistent growth signalling rising awareness around vehicular emission compliance PanIndia PUC searches increased 55 per cent yearonyear in 2025 with a 4 per cent rise compared to 2025In Delhi searches grew 38 per cent versus 2024 alongside an 11per cent quarteronquarter increase indicating sustained intent rather than a shortterm surge Mumbai emerged as another key market showing notable growth in PUCrelated searchesTaken together the data revealsa clear shift in urban consumer behaviour where pollution is prompting both immediate protective actions within homes and a more responsible approach towards emissions on the road While air purifier searches reflect an urgent need to secure indoor environments rising PUC queries highlight growing accountability towards pollution controlWith search volumes rising across major metros the searchers reveal that the findings indicate that pollution is no longer viewed as a temporary seasonal challenge but as a catalyst shaping everyday decisions and search behaviour across Indiarsquos cities