“I could feel the dust settling in the air every morning,” Vipul Chaudhary says, remembering last winter. At 33, the lecturer from Government Polytechnic, Chhotaudepur, Gujarat, struggled to breathe clean air even indoors. “Even at home, the air did not feel clean. I tried to avoid exposure as much as I could, but it made little difference. Breathing never felt easy,” he adds.
In Bengaluru, 26-year-old engineer Debashish Das describes his own struggle: “The air quality was genuinely poor. Dust and traffic smells lingered all the time, and I often felt congested. Even at home, the air never really felt fresh.”
And in Pune, software engineer Abhinav Chauhan (27) experienced subtle but persistent effects. “During winter, I would often experience throat irritation. I did not realise how much the air around us can sap our energy and affect wellness,” he says.
For countless Indians, this is part of everyday life, something they learn to live with. For Rohan Kumar, it was something he could not ignore.
A journey across India and a realisation grows
Rohan Kumar (27) grew up in Bihar, a state where air pollution is not always visible but ever-present. His life took him across India, including 10 years in Delhi, four years in Gujarat, two years in Karnataka, and three years in Maharashtra.
By February 2025, he turned his focus to air purification and built nine to 10 prototypes throughout the year.
“Living in different cities, I could feel the difference in air quality, the dust, the smog, even the subtle smells of traffic and industry,” he recalls. “It struck me how something as fundamental as clean air is a luxury for many.”
He pursued environmental engineering, focusing initially on wastewater treatment. Grants from IIT Bombay and the Department of Science and Technology’s Nidhi Prayas programme allowed him to analyse natural treatment systems, mass transfer mechanisms, and sustainable design principles.
“Working with water treatment taught me how to design low-energy, effective, and practical systems. I realised I could adapt these principles to tackle air pollution,” he says in a conversation with The Better India.
Currently, he is a PhD research scholar in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Powai, Mumbai. Alongside his doctorate, he is refining the ‘Enviroforge Air Purifier’, a device he is developing to fight air pollution and bring healthy air into everyday spaces.
From cardboard boxes to an advanced purifier
He began conceptualising the biophysical air purifier in early 2024, initially while working on water treatment. By February 2025, he turned his focus to air purification and built nine to 10 prototypes throughout the year. He finalised the design by December.
Throughout 2026, his focus has been on testing the device across summer, monsoon, and winter to make sure it performs consistently in every Indian climate.
Alongside testing, he is conducting market research, gathering feedback from users, and applying for grants, while continuing to refine the device around real-world needs.
His journey from concept to product involved repeated experiments and changes. “I began my experiments using cardboard boxes as makeshift enclosures for the air purifier. It was rudimentary, but it helped me understand airflow and filter placement,” he explains.
“Then I moved on to Amazon delivery boxes, which were sturdier and allowed me to test larger filters. After that, I experimented with blue drums, which could hold more plants, microbes, and adsorbent materials. Each stage taught me something new, like how air moves through layers, how to balance filtration with airflow, and how the biological components respond. Every prototype was a lesson that brought me closer to the final design,” he adds.
He tested prototypes in residential homes, offices, areas near roads and construction sites, and chemical laboratories.
The path was full of challenges. “Managing the filters was tricky. If they were too thick, the air could not pass through easily, causing pressure drops and reducing efficiency. But if they were too thin, fine dust and pollutants would slip through.”
He adds, “The plants and beneficial microbes I used also needed constant hydration and care to stay active and effective. I had to figure out the right balance so that the purifier worked reliably, whether in a humid monsoon in Mumbai, a dusty winter in Delhi, or the dry heat in Gujarat. Making sure it performed across all Indian conditions was one of the biggest hurdles,” he says.
He tested prototypes in residential homes, offices, areas near roads and construction sites, and chemical laboratories, even sending units to friends in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Surat to gather real-world feedback.
The art of breathing clean
All this effort led to the creation of the Enviroforge Air Purifier, which he completed in December 2025. It is a biophysical air purifier that combines natural fibres, adsorbents, beneficial bacteria, and indoor plants to clean the air effectively. The design brings these physical and biological components together in a hybrid system intended for Indian homes and offices.
Enviroforge is incubated at the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM Mumbai), which provides mentorship, laboratory support, and guidance for deployment. Rohan explains that this incubation allows them to refine the device for real-world conditions and plan large-scale deployment efficiently.
He says, “Our filters use bamboo fibres, coconut fibres, banana fibres, jute, muslin, cotton, and silk. Coarser fibres trap larger particles, and finer fibres, including micro-nano-fibrillated cellulose, capture microscopic pollutants.”
Gaseous pollutants, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and ozone, pass through a mixture of activated carbon, biochar, zeolite, ceramic filters, manganese dioxide, and lime.
“We also use beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Rhodococcus, and Pseudomonas. They biologically degrade pollutants. And indoor plants like snake plants, money plants, spider plants, peace lilies, and mosses continue purification naturally,” he adds.
“This combination of natural fibres, biological action, and plants makes our system different from typical commercial purifiers. Most rely on mechanical filtration alone. Ours is hybrid, sustainable, and affordable for everyday households,” he explains.
Enviroforge is incubated at the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM Mumbai), which provides mentorship, laboratory support, and guidance for deployment.
Breathing made better: How Enviroforge cleans the air
The innovator explains the process in simple terms: “Air passes through layers of fibres, which trap dust and particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10. Gaseous pollutants are absorbed by the natural adsorbents. The beneficial bacteria break down chemical pollutants, and plants continuously purify the air. It is nature and science working together.”
To track the system’s performance, he uses calibrated air-quality sensors from Prana Air. “We measure PM2.5, PM10, CO2, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and ozone. This guarantees the purifier performs as expected,” he says.
In Rohan’s tests, the Enviroforge reduced the air quality index by 80 to 85 percent within 20 minutes in an enclosed space of 800 cubic feet. It removed up to 92 percent of PM10, 86 percent of PM2.5, and around 80 percent of gaseous pollutants.
Vipul, a father of newborns, placed the device in his newborns’ room. “After 40 to 50 minutes, the air feels fresh. I would highly recommend this system to anyone living in industrial or high-pollution zones,” he says.
Debashish, comparing it with the Rs 30,000 air purifier he had been using, was surprised. “The cost and performance truly surprised me. I noticed a real improvement in my sleep quality, and I was eagerly waiting for another unit. I asked Rohan for one, but he had only a few left,” he says.
Abhinav found the device both functional and aesthetic. “It looks like a flowerpot. I keep it on my office desk and operate it before yoga in the morning. Within an hour, I feel more energetic. It is affordable, effective, and fits into daily life comfortably,” he adds.
Rohan adds, “We have 25 units deployed so far, five in residential and office spaces, five near roads and construction areas, and five in chemical laboratories. Additional prototypes went to friends and relatives to test performance across cities. Their feedback helped us refine the device and make it suitable for Indian conditions.”
Affordable access for all
He designed the Enviroforge with accessibility in mind. “The entry-level unit costs Rs 2,000. The mid-range version is Rs 5,000 to 6,000, and the premium model is around Rs 10,000. Our focus is the Rs 2,000 unit. Materials are natural and easy to replace. It is effective, affordable, and can reach students, lower-income families, and small businesses. The official launch is planned for December 2026,” he says.
To track the system’s performance, he uses calibrated air-quality sensors from Prana Air.
“Air pollution in Mumbai is equivalent to smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes a day, and in Delhi, 20 to 25,” he adds. “This is a serious health issue, and I want to create a practical, cost-effective solution designed for India, reaching the people who need it the most.”
Vipul, Debashish and Abhinav are part of the growing group of early users whose feedback is shaping the device before its planned December 2026 launch. The next phase will show how those lessons translate as Rohan prepares to take it to more homes and offices.
All pictures courtesy Rohan Kumar.
