In India, air pollution has long been considered an outdoor problem, smog-filled skies, vehicular emissions, and industrial smoke. Yet, what many don’t realize is that the air inside homes and offices can be just as harmful. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution contributes to over 3 million premature deaths every year.
For Ravi Kaushik, this invisible danger wasn’t just another statistic, it became a calling. A trained aerosol scientist with a BTech from Kurukshetra University and an MBA from IIT Bombay, Ravi had spent years studying how air pollutants behave and how they can be controlled. But while working with advanced purification technologies, he noticed something striking: despite growing awareness, clean air solutions remained expensive, bulky, and out of reach for most households.
That’s when he began asking a simple yet powerful question – why not make air purifiers part of the appliances we already use every day?
This question laid the foundation of Airth Research Private Limited, a Delhi-based startup that turns ordinary air conditioners into effective air purifiers.
From Lab to Living Room
Airth was founded in 2020, during Ravi’s time as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Social Alpha, an incubator and innovation platform. Initially, the team focused on building antimicrobial air purification technology, which was tested in biosafety labs including CSIR-IMTech during the pandemic.
However, as the world began returning to normal, Ravi saw a recurring pattern: people would spend tens of thousands on air purifiers, only for the machines to end up collecting dust in a corner. Airth decided to change that by integrating purification into a device people already used daily—their air conditioner.
The breakthrough came in the form of FiltRIX, an attachment that can be fitted to any air conditioner—split, window, or commercial—to instantly transform it into a high-efficiency air purifier. Built with a three-layer, 3D filter design inspired by human lungs, FiltRIX captures fine dust, bacteria, and even viruses within minutes of operation. Its smart “partial coverage” design ensures there’s no pressure drop, a common issue that affects cooling and airflow in standard purifiers.
Tested and certified by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Airth’s filters can deliver up to 90% air purification within just one to two hours. What’s more—installation is DIY-friendly, requiring no technician, and filters typically last 8–12 months before replacement.
Priced affordably at around ₹2,500, with replacement filters costing ₹1,200, FiltRIX has made clean air accessible to the average Indian household. The company’s other product line air quality monitors ranges from ₹500 to ₹5,000, offering consumers real-time data on their indoor environment.
Building a Market for Affordable Clean Air
Airth’s mission is simple yet ambitious—to make clean air affordable for all. The startup operates on a hybrid B2B and B2C model, serving both institutions and individual customers. Early adopters included the Reserve Bank of India, Stock Holding Corporation of India, and several corporate offices, schools, and residential complexes. Today, Airth counts over 100 B2B clients and 60,000 retail users across India.
Consumers can buy Airth products directly through the company’s website or leading ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Tata 1mg, with PharmEasy soon joining the list.
Operating with a lean team of 15 from Delhi, Airth manages in-house assembly and coatings while outsourcing air quality monitor manufacturing to specialized vendors. Despite its small size, the startup has achieved impressive traction—reportedly generating around ₹6 crore in FY24 and aiming to double its revenue by FY26.
So far, Airth has raised ₹3.3 crore from friends, family, Whiteboard Capital, SIRMA, and angel investors. Previous reports show the company’s early funding included $265,000 across three rounds, with a seed round in 2022 that valued it at around $2 million post-investment.
The Road Ahead
Airth’s next chapter is all about intelligence and automation. The team is developing an AI-powered air quality monitor that can automatically adjust an AC’s fan speed based on pollution levels—saving both energy and cost.
With international expansion on the horizon and starting with the Middle East and Australia, Airth is gearing up to make its mark globally. Ravi was recently part of an Indian startup delegation to GITEX Dubai, a clear sign that the world is taking notice of this homegrown innovation.
As India’s air purifier market continues to grow and expected to touch ₹3,520 crore by 2034. Airth is not just competing for market share. It’s redefining what clean air means for the average household.
