IsCleanAir: From European innovation to deployment in India

Air pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental and public health issues worldwide, particularly in fast-growing urban and industrial regions. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the vast majority of the world’s population lives in areas where the WHO air quality guidelines are not met. Addressing it requires technologies that can quickly move from development to real-world deployment, supported by strong technical and industrial capabilities and long-term innovation pathways.

IsCleanAir, a core partner of EIT Manufacturing, is expanding its activities in India by deploying its innovative Air Pollution Abatement System (APAS) solutions. This expansion builds on local collaborations and industrial advancements developed with and supported by EIT Manufacturing since 2021.

From Europe to India: the APAS pilot in Chennai

Building on this technological foundation, IsCleanAir is independently pursuing international expansion opportunities and engaging with partners, such as in India, where urban air quality is a major societal challenge. According to the State of Global Air 2024, air pollution in the country accounts for more than 2 million deaths a year.

The APAS pilot in India was initiated by the Greater Chennai Corporation and implemented in partnership with Ruuris Innovations. The project was rolled out in the Manali industrial cluster in Chennai in July and August 2024. It was extensively tested in real urban conditions through November 2024, with independent third-party support for monitoring and validating the technical phases and long-term results.

IsCleanAir’s APAS solution in Chennai, India

The initiative focused on air treatment at human-breathing height in outdoor, high-exposure environments, to demonstrate the system’s capability to significantly reduce pollutant concentrations directly where people are most exposed. Monitoring activities showed substantial reductions across a broad range of harmful pollutants, along with clear improvements in overall air quality indicators following installation, further demonstrating the solution’s effectiveness under real-world conditions.

Key performance indicators of IsCleanAir’s pilot in India

Main performance indicators:

• The results recorded a peak reduction in Ammonia (NH3) levels close to 100% and an overall AQI reduction of 65.90%.
• The data indicated that each APA system removes 18.2 tons of CO₂ per year, an environmental impact equivalent to 829 trees. The performance observed in Chennai shows that the model can be scaled at the industrial level and considered for broader implementation, with potential environmental benefits and operating cost reductions, mainly for multi-utilities providers and companies delivering civic services.

A collaboration rooted in technology development

The cooperation between IsCleanAir and EIT Manufacturing began with innovation projects aimed at advancing air purification technologies for industrial and indoor environments. Over time, these initiatives supported the growth and maturity of the company’s solutions, contributing to validation activities, industrial readiness and market-oriented development. This work strengthened IsCleanAir’s clear technological leadership and supported its progression from research and prototyping to deployable solutions in real operational contexts.

While the company, together with international partners, led the expansion into India, the technical experience gained through EIT Manufacturing initiatives contributed to the technological maturity and industrial readiness of IsCleanAir’s solutions, supporting further deployment in the relevant Indian context. This reflects EIT Manufacturing’s role in supporting innovators from development to real-world applications, contributing to the broader European innovation landscape and enabling companies to scale their solutions globally.

Looking ahead

The activities in India are a further step in IsCleanAir’s international growth and the broader adoption of its advanced ambient air purification technologies across different environments and new industrial spaces.

Future developments will focus on additional deployments in India and many other countries, continued industrialisation efforts and new international collaborations to address air quality challenges in urban and industrial settings. The goal is to improve living and working conditions, reduce energy consumption, protect biodiversity and earn nature credits and savings and improve operational and management costs efficiency.