The more poisonous the air in the country is, the more expensive it is proving to be. But there is huge profit hidden in cleaning it. According to an analysis presented at the ‘IVCA Clean Air Forum 2026’, an economic opportunity of $220 billion (about ~20 lakh crore) can be achieved by reducing India’s PM 2.5 pollution levels by about 20% by 2030. Jagjit Sarin, partner and India head of Dalberg Advisors, has presented this estimate quoting the report ‘The Economics of Clean Air’. According to him, this amount will be equal to about 5.5% of India’s GDP. This will be achieved through increased productivity, reduced health costs, new business opportunities and environmental benefits. Sarin said that till now clean air has been looked at only from the perspective of public health and compliance with rules. But statistics show that this is an equally big economic opportunity. According to him, 20% reduction in PM 2.5 will increase productivity and create new value chains. Apart from this, 14 lakh jobs can also be created and 115 million tonnes of carbon emissions can be reduced annually. He said- Now it is the turn of investment, because the figures themselves have created arguments in favor of investment. According to the report, the benefits of clean air are not limited to papers only. Better efficiency, fewer holidays and better health will directly increase working productivity. Apart from this, the economic loss related to untimely deaths will also reduce. This will open new markets in terms of clean-air technology and services. The analysis identified the transportation and solid waste management sectors as having the highest value creation potential. But capitalizing on this opportunity will require huge investment. Capital will have to be invested simultaneously in many sectors like transport, agriculture, domestic fuel, industrial pollution control, construction and road dust management, power generation, waste management and air quality monitoring infrastructure. It was also said in the presentation that investment in clean air should no longer be seen as just an expense, but as a growth capital providing all three benefits: economic, social and climate. Greater participation of private capital, strong digital infrastructure, use of new technology, specialized skill development and deep involvement of communities – these five things have been said to be important factors to accelerate this change. IVCA Clean Air Forum 2026 aims to transform pollution from just an environmental challenge to an investable economic opportunity. Air-tech sector is the least invested segment in India. Every year more than 16 lakh deaths occur due to air pollution. Yet the air-tech sector remains one of the least funded segments of climate-related investment. The forum brought together institutional investors, deep-tech startups, policymakers and industry leaders to brainstorm on how capital can pave the way for scalable and commercially sustainable air quality solutions in India.
Source link
[ad_3]
Clean Air Economics; Clean air, now economic prosperity: If air pollution is reduced by 20% in the country, then Rs 20 lakh crore and 14 lakh jobs will be available.
