Tackling air quality is one of the rising concerns in resolving environmental issues. India’s built environment is witnessing a paradigm shift in how air quality is monitored and managed. In India’s cities, where smog and dust often dominate the skyline, a quiet transformation is visible inside buildings. From offices and schools to hospitals and shopping malls, conversations around air quality are shifting from awareness to action. Experts point out that while the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has made outdoor air monitoring mandatory at construction sites. The IAQ still largely depends on the voluntary adoption of ASHRAE or LEED global standards.

Technology is bridging the gap. IoT sensors, AI-driven platforms, and smart HVAC systems are enabling facility managers to predict, prevent, and respond to air quality challenges in real time. The pertinent question is whether India’s built environment transitions rapidly from guidelines to enforceable standards. Experts highlight that integrating IoT-based sensors with real-time AQI data enables predictive and proactive facility management, especially when linked to HVAC systems. Smart monitoring improves health and productivity, while also supporting energy optimisation and sustainability.

Air quality management through Smart HVAC design, new filtration technologies, and intelligent controls helps organisations to achieve compliance, operational efficiency, and sustainability. With Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, IoT-based monitoring, and real-time AQI data integration, facility managers can align HVAC operations with predictive and reactive insights. Hence, monitoring and regulatory frameworks are becoming a special ingredient in shaping how India manages environmental quality in the built environment.

Monitoring Technology for the built environment

From a technology and India-specific perspective, Mr. Vikas Saxena, CEO & Director, Caleedo, shared that when we look at IAQ, the standards currently followed are largely international, mostly American, and now we also have Indian-issued standards. The reality is that while CPCB has issued guidelines on how AQI needs to be measured, monitoring has now become a standard, at least at construction sites.

Technology helps us combine the available information. On one hand, we have AQI data provided in real-time through government or private weather stations. On the other hand, we have IAQ data collected via IoT devices installed within buildings. By integrating these two on a single platform in real time, we can compare outdoor air quality with indoor conditions. This data integration is already happening.

Once we have the data, predictive and reactive maintenance decisions become possible. For example, if a storm is outside, AQI will worsen, and naturally, indoor air will be impacted by dust or pressure changes. A facility manager, informed in real time, can take immediate action. When winter in Delhi starts in October, the system can trigger predictive maintenance schedules. Integration with HVAC systems enables automated adjustments, such as filter control and fresh air damper control, to effectively manage IAQ.

Concurring with Mr. Vikas’ views,  Dr. Mohan P George, Consultant, Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility at Centre for Science and Environment, remarked, Yes, with the availability of large amounts of data – for example, in Delhi, where Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring stations provide continuous updates, we can plan. He explained that there are two sets of data: long-term and short-term predictive data.

Long-term data displays seasonal peaks – for instance, summer, the onset of winter (October–November), and late December to early January. HVAC systems can be tuned in advance for these critical periods, in terms of filtration and ventilation. Short-term predictive data (2–3 days ahead) allows fine-tuning and optimisation.

AQI is useful for the public. It is an index with ranges, not precise enough for technical experts. Real-time concentration data, combined with machine learning and modelling, allows for smarter HVAC operation and energy optimisation. Obviously, AQI is necessary for the commoner, and they need to be educated about it. However, industrial regulations are creating an impact. Mr. Abhijeet Singh, Senior Associate Consultant, Air Quality, ERM, elaborated that they are still in the early stages. International standards, such as ASHRAE and LEED, and in India, IGBC and ECBC, are setting minimum benchmarks for ventilation, filtration, and monitoring.

For new buildings, schools, hospitals, and commercial spaces, these requirements are becoming mandatory, which means occupants will see improved air quality. But regulation alone is not enough; we also need strict enforcement and better technology. Enforcement and compliance are huge issues. Hence, Smart HVAC has become a necessity today.

Smart HVAC

Smart HVAC systems with real-time monitoring can adjust ventilation, filtration, and energy use dynamically to match actual pollutant levels, occupancy, and environmental conditions. Dr. Dheeraj Alshetty, Senior Research Manager, EPIC India, analyses that this helps maintain healthier indoor environments while also improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary energy consumption. When supported by regulatory frameworks that require data reporting and compliance, these systems create accountability and extend benefits to both indoor and outdoor air quality management. Mr. Santosh C. Jadhav, Head, Airside Sales, Trane India, says, Smart HVAC creates healthier environments, improves occupant health and productivity, reduces downtime, and extends product lifespan. With data-driven monitoring, advanced sensors, AI, and IoT, anyone can accurately address indoor and outdoor air quality challenges. Smart HVAC systems monitor weather conditions, occupancy, and building use patterns in real-time. It optimises energy efficiency while improving IAQ and OAQ. Embedded into building designs, these systems directly contribute to sustainable urban development.

Building design

Thoughtful building design, such as integrating natural ventilation, safe materials, and optimal layouts, creates the foundation for good air quality and comfort. Dr. Dheeraj Alshetty said that, when combined with smart HVAC operation, buildings can maintain consistent indoor conditions while adapting to fluctuations in outdoor pollution or occupancy. This directly translates into healthier occupants, fewer sick days, and higher productivity, making buildings active contributors to human well-being.

Mr. Vikas added that, currently, regulations focus more on outdoor AQI. Construction sites in cities like Mumbai are required to monitor PM2.5 and PM10 levels in real time. However, for indoor air quality, mandatory regulations are needed in India. Standards like ASHRAE or LEED are voluntarily adopted by developers or end-users who want healthier spaces. If the government links IAQ compliance with building NOCs, such as fire safety, we will see a massive improvement.

Real-time monitoring across facilities would also generate huge amounts of data, making nationwide air quality management much more precise. We must check the air we breathe. So, IoT sensors, predictive analysis, or smart controls bring change in monitoring.

Innovations for sustainable buildings

Several innovations are emerging. These include advanced filtration systems, UV lights to kill bacteria and fungi, photocatalytic oxidation units (PCOs), and bipolar ionisation systems. Mr. Santosh notes that the innovations, combined with AI, IoT, and high-precision sensors, allow real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, and outdoor weather patterns. With remote control and data integration, buildings can maintain healthy and sustainable indoor environments.

Real-time IAQ monitoring

IoT devices today are cost-effective and widely supported by connectivity, mentions Mr. Vikas. Wi-Fi and mobile data are available everywhere at very low cost. These sensors transmit real-time indoor air quality data to facility managers, covering multiple parameters, not just AQI. This means management becomes predictive and proactive—not reactive. With such systems, facilities can act before occupants complain, ensuring healthier indoor environments. Definitely, proactive monitoring is essential for IAQ improvement.

Emissions trading schemes

At the policy level, introducing IAQ standards for schools, promoting the use of real-time sensors, and supporting purification systems can complement ETS and deliver targeted protection indoors. Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) reduce industrial emissions at scale, which does not directly change air quality inside schools but indirectly benefits them through cleaner outdoor air and reduced regional exposures. This improvement in ambient air quality creates a healthier baseline for children and teachers, lowering long-term health risks.

Dr. George mentions that what surrounds us enters indoors, and a regional design approach is needed. So, Delhi’s ambient air monitoring can be applied to building-level strategies to protect occupants from outdoor pollutants. Delhi’s ambient monitoring network is one of the strongest, with around 40 stations covering 1,400 sq. km—roughly one station every 3–4 km. This high-density, high-quality data enables localised strategies. For instance, instead of relying on city averages, building managers can use neighbourhood-specific data (say, for RK Puram or Connaught Place) to design IAQ strategies. But across India, such dense networks are missing. In those cases, it is good to rely on low-cost sensors, which raise issues of calibration and placement. Poor-quality data can lead to wrong decisions. Hence, good-quality data is critical for IAQ management.

Regulations for outdoor air

For indoor air, there is no mandatory regulation yet. Mr. Vikas highlighted that coverage is limited outside Delhi. However, many building owners are already investing voluntarily in monitoring systems. All this data—government, private weather stations, construction sites—feeds into central databases like CPCB. If building IAQ data is also integrated, we will have an even more powerful dataset for accurate, localised management. So, the future is about data accuracy and integration. The finer the data, the smarter the air quality control.

The need to move

For ambient air and industrial emissions, strong standards are available. But for indoor air quality, available guidelines are not legally binding. A need is arising to move from guidelines to enforceable standards. The challenge is also about enforcement. The CPCB and State Pollution Boards are focused on outdoor and industrial emissions, not IAQ. By integrating real-time AQI from weather stations with IoT-based IAQ data, technology enables direct comparison of outdoor and indoor conditions on a unified platform.

Another issue is data quality. It has been observed that analysers are placed in the wrong locations, near kitchen exhausts, producing misleading data. Even low-cost air purifiers claim to measure PM2.5/PM10. A check is necessary to know the lifespan of those sensors. Without quality control, numbers alone mean nothing. 

Conclusively, we need clarity on awareness, equipment type, placement, calibration, and quality assurance alongside stronger regulations.

Mohan P George, Consultant, Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Center for Science and Environment.

What surrounds us seeps indoors; only a regional design approach can craft buildings truly aligned with climate, culture, and context.

Dheeraj Alshetty, Senior Research Manager, EPIC India

Smart HVAC systems adapt to pollutants, occupancy, and environment to provide healthier indoor air, improving efficiency, and, with regulatory support, improve indoor and outdoor air quality.

Abhijeet Singh, Consultant Senior Associate, Air Quality, ERM

Industrial regulations are emerging, guided by global standards like ASHRAE and LEED, and India’s IGBC and ECBC, setting vital benchmarks for ventilation, filtration, and monitoring.

Vikas Saxena, CEO & Director, Caleedo

The future lies in data accuracy and integration—because the finer the data, the smarter and more effective the air quality control.

Santosh C. Jadhav, Head, Airside Sales, Trane India

Smart HVAC, powered by AI, IoT, and advanced sensors, creates healthier spaces, boosts productivity, cuts downtime, and tackles indoor-outdoor air quality challenges with precision.