Using Google’s AI and local ecosystem to generate actionable Air Quality insights in India, with Air View+

As India continues its incredible growth momentum, thanks to its tech innovation and demographic advantage, it's crucial we also mitigate risks which could slow it down. Environmental issues are one such stumbling block, with air pollution topping the list.

Air pollution not only diminishes the livability of our cities but it massively contributes to an overloaded healthcare system. At the individual level, health challenges arising from air pollution not only impair individuals but an entire network of caregivers, leading to increased physical and financial stress in our communities. While this is widely understood and appreciated, thus far, our ability to take targeted action has been limited due to imperfect data around air quality, at the hyperlocal level.

To combat this challenge, today, we are pleased to announce Air View+ -- an ecosystem based solution to empower government authorities and people with useful hyperlocal air quality information, in collaboration with local climate tech firms.

Powered by Google AI, modeling a wide range of data inputs, Air View+ enables:

• Valuable air quality insights to Government agencies responsible for environmental monitoring and urban planning.
• Real-time hyperlocal air quality information in Google Maps for users across India

How it works

Air View+ adopts an ecosystem-based approach, bringing together local organizations working to enable real-time hyperlocal air quality information, including local sustainability startups, researchers/climate action groups, corporations, city administrators, and citizens.

Climate tech firms, Aurassure and Respirer Living Sciences were instrumental in setting up an air quality sensor network in cities that previously lacked the requisite infrastructure to monitor air quality. These sensors measure various air quality parameters, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NO2, Ozone, and VOCs, along with temperature and humidity, taking measurements every minute.

Strategically deployed in static locations across more than 150 Indian cities, such as administrative establishments, commercial buildings, utility poles, etc. to maximize population coverage, these sensors continuously monitor air quality. With the support of local researchers from IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, state pollution boards and climate action groups like CSTEP, these sensors are rigorously validated and calibrated.

This data is analyzed using Google AI by researchers and sustainability startups to compute insights quickly and at scale, making this information useful for both citizens and city planners.

Enabling governments to measure local air quality

Air View+ empowers local municipal corporations with hyperlocal air quality data of their cities, which they are using to develop their in-house AQ dashboards via the researchers and sustainability partners (Aurassure and Respirer Living Sciences). These dashboards provide air quality data for unmonitored areas and help urban planners identify hotspots and make necessary interventions.

In the past year, pilot partnerships with municipal corporations including Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Greater Chennai have yielded hugely encouraging results.

“Strategically situated amidst industrial hubs, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recognizes the critical importance of air quality monitoring and improvement. Real-time data from the Google Air View+ sensors empower us to pinpoint pollution hotspots and take proactive measures. We’ve adopted the Hyperlocal Air Quality Monitoring Network implemented through the Google Air View+ Project in collaboration with Aurassure. Over the past three years, we’ve noticed a 50 percent improvement in the air quality specifically during winters. Our ambitious goal is to eliminate pollution hotspots within the next five years, ensuring a clean and healthy environment for all residents.” - Mr. G. Sreekanth, Municipal Commissioner, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

"We are thankful to Google and Aurassure. The Air View+ Project by Google helped us in understanding our city's air quality by providing us real-time, street-level data. We're taking additional initiatives under the City Climate Action Plan. In the past two years, we've planted 300,000 new trees, significantly increasing our urban green cover. Our public transport system boasts over 600 buses, with half running on electric or CNG fuel, and all rickshaws converted to CNG. We're also seeing a surge in electric vehicle adoption, contributing to cleaner air." - Mr. Shirish Aradwad, Additional Commissioner, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation

“Our recent analysis highlights the PM2.5 levels in critical zones such as Royapuram, Kodungaiyur, and Manali Village have reduced by an average of 26 percent, with Manali Village recording a sharp decline from an annual average of 105 µg/m³ in 2019 to 72 µg/m³ in 2024. Alongside expanding public green spaces and improving public transport options, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has also planted over 200,000 trees in 2023 alone, aiming to meet a 40% reduction in PM2.5 levels by 2026. This collaboration between Google Air View+ Project and Aurassure underscores Chennai’s mission to set a national benchmark for urban air quality management.” - Shri. V. Sivakrishnamurthy, I.A.S, Deputy Commissioner, Greater Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Empowering citizens with hyperlocal air quality information on Google Maps

People in India can now access hyperlocal air quality information across the country in Google Maps. With a multi-layered AI fusion approach that combines data from various input sources, including the sensor network, government data, satellite imagery, weather and wind patterns, traffic conditions, land cover, and more, we generate dynamic hyperlocal Air Quality Index (AQI) at a granular level. We have customized the model for India to reflect the methodology, categorization and guidance as defined in the National Air Quality Index (NAQI).

This information is especially important for vulnerable populations such as young children or the elderly, enabling families to take appropriately preventative measures and precautions for their health such as using N95 masks or reducing outdoor exposure.

People can readily access AQI in Google Maps by:

• Selecting the Air Quality layer from the Layer button on the homescreen and tapping on any location on the map
• Clicking the Weather widget on the Explore tab on the homescreen, for AQI info at their current location.

Our ability to respond to the global mounting climate crisis – and the more immediate urgency of air quality in many parts of India – is a direct function of how well we understand it and the factors that contribute to it. The launch of Google Air View+ presents a leap forward in our ability to meet this challenge.