How the North is shaping India’s ‘smog economy’

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As the air quality index breaches hazardous levels all over the region, residents of Delhi-NCR and other major cities are working from home, while schools have already moved to online classes. Outdoor activities that usually rise in winter months, including dining out and shopping in high-street shopping districts, have fallen across major cities.

Instead, people are staying at home, using air purifiers, venturing out with only masks on. Many are reporting irritation in their eyes, nose, and throat due to high levels of particulate matter in the air. They are seeking medication for asthma, allergies, and other ailments.

Many have booked trips outside North Indian cities. This has led to a spike in people travelling to hill stations in northern states, including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Places like Mussoorie, Nainital, Jim Corbett national park, and Kasauli usually see an influx of tourists every year, starting with Diwali.

Meanwhile, the well-heeled are also buying second homes in the hills as part of a larger trend of owning villas and “summer homes". Some developers, such as the Delhi-based Eldeco Group, are even marketing their luxury projects in the hills as a convenient escape from the pollution. Products to protect oneself from hazardous air, such as N95 masks, Hepa filters, and home air purifiers are major constituents of this business.

Drugs for allergies and respiratory diseases, along with hospitals and clinics that treat these ailments, are also crucial. Real estate and tourism in pollution-free hill stations are fast gaining importance, too. Respiratory drugs are among the fastest growing pharma products in India this year, growing 19.2% year-on-year in FY24,