Delhi Students Invent 140-Rupee Ceiling Fan Air Purifier to Combat Pollution

Amid severe air pollution in Delhi and other cities, high commercial costs put standard air purifiers out of reach for many schools and families. To address this challenge, students created an innovative and inexpensive solution that converts ordinary ceiling fans into functioning air purifiers for a cost of only 140 rupees. This initiative, titled Project Vayu, has been honored with the 2026 Diana Award Roll of Honour.

Project Vayu and Creators

The initiative was developed by Krish Agarwal and Samarth Mittal, with early foundational contributions from Savya Mittal, who is now studying at Stanford University. The project utilizes existing classroom fans to clean indoor air without requiring expensive new machinery. According to project representatives, the technology has already reached multiple schools in Delhi, benefiting over 10,000 students by providing cleaner air and even supplying fans to classrooms that lack them.

How the Filter Works

Traditional air purifiers rely on separate motors and filtration units to pull and clean air, but Project Vayu leverages the existing airflow of standard ceiling fans. The system uses an electret media technique featuring electrostatically charged fibers designed to attract and trap microscopic PM2.5 pollution particles passing through the fan's circulation. Fitted around the fan grille using an elastic lining, the filter requires no special tools or adhesives and can be installed in under a minute.

Cost Breakdown and Free Distribution

Website details break down the 140-rupee production expense into three main categories: 85 rupees for the filter media, 15 rupees for the elastic lining, and 40 rupees for stitching and transportation. The team supplies these filters completely free of charge to schools. While the low-cost design offers an accessible approach to tackling classroom air pollution, further scientific evaluation remains necessary to fully determine its ongoing maintenance needs and specific effectiveness in modifying overall air quality.