Delhi Man Builds Air Purifier At Home For Just Rs 2,000, Here’s How He Did It | Tech News

The man said that his DIY purifier cut AQI from 400 to 50 in just 15 minutes. (Reddit image)

As Delhi continues to grapple with hazardous air quality, residents are turning to innovative ways to survive the smog. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering above 450 in several parts of the city, many households have resorted to costly air purifiers. However, one city resident has drawn nationwide attention for building a fully functional air purifier at home for just Rs 2,000, earning him the nickname “jugaadu scientist” across social media platforms.

The inventive man, identified online as Reddit user u/Shukrant25, shared photographs of his low-cost air purifier, claiming that it could bring down a room’s AQI from 350 to 50 within 15 minutes. “I built my personal air purifier in Rs 2,000… and it is working great, even better than the phillips one I have,” he wrote in his viral Reddit post, which has since attracted thousands of upvotes and comments.

According to his explanation, the device was assembled using a 150mm exhaust fan, a HEPA filter, cardboard, wires, and a simple on-off switch. The total cost reportedly came to around Rs 2,000, including Rs 750 for the exhaust fan, Rs 1,000 for the HEPA filter purchased from Amazon, and Rs 150 for the cardboard and glue gun. The remaining Rs 65 went towards wiring, a switch, and a regulator.

Despite its modest, school-project-like appearance, Shukrant claimed the purifier effectively reduced pollution levels inside his 12×12 ft room, cutting the AQI from 400 to 50 in just 15 minutes. A commercial purifier offering similar results generally costs between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000, making this home-built version a striking example of frugal innovation.

See the viral post here:

Many users online hailed the effort as “Delhi’s desi innovation” and even likened the Shukrant to “India’s Elon Musk”. One commenter wrote, “Please make another one and please shoot video for that! I can buy that if u dont need that. Thanks!” while another remarked, “Air purifiers aren’t exactly rocket science… they’re just a simple IN and OUT air flow through filters.”

Several users also encouraged him to start a YouTube channel or host workshops in Delhi to help others build affordable purifiers.

Air purifiers work on a simple mechanism: they draw in contaminated air, trap harmful particles through multiple layers of filters, and release purified air back into the room. Typically, such machines use a pre-filter to capture larger particles like dust and hair, followed by a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter that removes up to 99.97% of fine particles, including PM2.5 and PM10 pollutants. An activated carbon filter then absorbs odors and gases, leaving the air fresh and clean.

Depending on a room’s size and the purifier’s capacity, the air-cleaning process can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour. Devices with higher Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADR) purify air faster and more efficiently.