Indian cities face rising air pollution. Developers now sell low-AQI homes. These feature air filters, smart vents, and on-site green areas. They market them as the latest luxury upgrade. Wellness pushes buyer interest. (Representational Image) (Pexels)
This trend raises a key question. Should clean air, once free for all, now cost extra as a high-end perk? Some say yes. These tech features boost indoor air. Yet they might just be sales tricks. Real estate always hunts for new edges. The talk points to a bigger issue. Clean air should be a city basic, not a paid extra.
A LinkedIn post noted a change. Homebuyers now see clean air as a product to buy, not a right.
Vivek Joshi, author and photographer, shared the post. He showed how home sales shifted over years. Homes started as simple shelters. Then they turned into lifestyle buys. Golf course views came first. Next were river, sea, and hill views. Each tied to nature for status. Now sales talk “low AQI spots.”
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Homes near parks, woods, or lakes always cost more. Builders add fees for prime spots. Some local rules charge extra for green views.
Joshi added in his post. Basic needs turn into paid extras. “If low AQI sells homes now, think what comes next,” he wrote. He warned that damage to nature makes must-haves into high prices.
Also Read: Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath raises concern over air pollution in India’s costliest cities
From water to air, lack turns into sales Joshi linked air to water. Real estate made shortages normal. Clean water got bottled, priced, and sold by who can pay. Air heads that way now, he said.
Joshi sees a root problem. Fast building erodes soil, cuts trees, and kills wildlife. Health risks grow quick. Rules lag behind. Profits beat green choices in cities. Damage gets sold back as “luxury.”
Earlier this year, Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath pushed a fix. Tie home prices to air and water quality. Offer cuts in bad spots. “High AQI means low prices,” he said. He brought back a 2024 idea to link values to green health.
Green views fetch big markups. Polluted zones do not. Builders charge for looks. They skip cuts for smog, bad water, or poor life.
How builders push AQI in sales Builders blend air quality and nature into pitches. Godrej Properties added a fresh-air system in its Delhi Mathura Road project. It pulls outside air and cleans pollutants. Tech from a German firm cuts PM2.5 inside homes. Max uses green focus for its Dwarka Expressway site. A big central forest stars as the main draw. It promises easy breathing and nature life.
Godrej South Estate in Delhi targets high-end buyers. It sells ready 2, 3, and 4 BHK units from about ₹2.4 crore. The star is its central fresh air system tied to VRF AC. This HVAC uses one outside unit for many rooms. It controls temps well and saves energy. The setup cuts dust, VOCs, and CO2 indoors. It sells the health angle.
Max Estates started Estate 361 in Gurugram Sector 36A. It follows LiveWell ideas with a forest setup. Over 250,000 sq. ft. of greens hold 1,000 native trees and 50 plant types. They fit Gurugram weather, per the firm.
Also Read: Delhi AQI: Should clean air command higher property prices? Experts divided on linking real estate values to air quality
Will more homes add air cleaners soon? More projects will likely add air tech soon. Builders will sell clean air like full AC today, said Gaurav Mavi. He co-founded BOP, a real estate firm.
Deepak Kapoor at Gulshan Group agrees. “Our luxury flats have central AC with top filters. VRV tech cools rooms separate with one unit. It works well. This will grow.”
Sarang Kulkarni at Descon Ventures warns. Low indoor AQI claims need context. Do not make them just hype.
He said low AQI indoors stays easy with no fresh air. “Dust and smog rush in with outside air. Many spots use recycled air. Like home purifiers,” he noted.
Kulkarni said offices use treated fresh air units. They filter new air first.