Bihar Student Creates $24 Air Purifier That Works in 20 Mins

Rohan Kumar grew up breathing Bihar's polluted air, then spent years moving across India, from Delhi's smog to Bengaluru's traffic fumes. In every city, he noticed the same thing: breathing clean air felt like a luxury most people couldn't afford.

The 27-year-old IIT Bombay PhD student decided to change that. He's created the Enviroforge Air Purifier, a device made from plants, natural fibers, and beneficial microbes that costs just Rs 2,000, about $24, a fraction of conventional purifiers.

His journey started with cardboard boxes in early 2024. Kumar tested his ideas in makeshift enclosures, learning how air moves through natural filters. He graduated to Amazon delivery boxes, then large blue drums, building nine to 10 prototypes throughout 2025.

Each version taught him something new. Too thick, and air couldn't pass through. Too thin, and pollutants slipped past. The living components, plants and microbes, needed just the right amount of moisture to stay active in every climate.

Kumar sent prototypes to friends across India, from Delhi to Ahmedabad to Surat. He tested them in homes, offices, construction sites, and chemical labs. The goal was simple: make sure it worked everywhere, in monsoon humidity and winter dust alike.

His background in environmental engineering proved essential. Years studying wastewater treatment taught him about natural filtration and low-energy design. He realized these same principles could tackle air pollution without expensive technology or high power consumption.

The results speak for themselves. The purifier reduces indoor air pollution by 85% in just 20 minutes. It performs consistently across Indian summers, monsoons, and winters.

Why This Inspires

For people like Vipul Chaudhary, a 33-year-old lecturer in Gujarat, this matters deeply. He remembers struggling to breathe clean air even at home last winter, feeling dust settle every morning. Debashish Das, a 26-year-old Bengaluru engineer, dealt with constant congestion from traffic smells that lingered indoors. Abhinav Chauhan in Pune experienced throat irritation every winter, never realizing how much poor air quality drained his energy.

These everyday struggles pushed Kumar forward. Grants from IIT Bombay and the Department of Science and Technology's Nidhi Prayas programme gave him resources to refine his design. His focus stayed laser sharp: create something affordable that actually works.

The purifier uses no complex machinery, just natural biological processes working together. Plants absorb pollutants. Microbes break down harmful particles. Natural fibers trap dust and fine particles. It's nature doing what it does best, optimized for Indian homes.

Kumar is currently conducting market research and gathering user feedback while testing the device through different seasons. He's also applying for additional grants to scale production. His vision extends beyond individual homes to schools, small offices, and community spaces where clean air remains out of reach.

Clean air shouldn't be a luxury reserved for those who can afford Rs 15,000 purifiers, and thanks to one determined researcher from Bihar, it might not have to be.