Top 10 Indian Cities with the Best Air Quality in 2025
Explore the top 10 Indian cities with the best air quality in 2025, and discover how improved air quality is reshaping real estate, tourism, and urban development. This article delves into the factors driving these changes and the future outlook for urban health and sustainability.
Air QualityReal EstateTourismUrban DevelopmentSustainabilityReal EstateAug 13, 2025
Top 10 Cleanest-Air Cities in India (2025)
| Rank | City | State | AQI (2025 Avg.) | Main Pollutant(s) |
|------|---------------|---------------------|------------------|-------------------|
| 1 | Tirunelveli | Tamil Nadu | 33 | PM10 |
| 2 | Naharlagun | Arunachal Pradesh | 43 | PM10 |
| 3 | Madikeri | Karnataka | 44 | PM2.5 |
| 4 | Vijayapura | Karnataka | 47 | PM10 |
| 5 | Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | 47 | PM10 |
| 6 | Koppal | Karnataka | 55 | PM2.5 |
| 7 | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | 55 | PM2.5, PM10 |
| 8 | Hubballi | Karnataka | 56 | PM2.5, CO |
| 9 | Kannur | Kerala | 56 | PM10 |
| 10 | Chhal | Chhattisgarh | 56 | PM10 |
Drivers Behind Their Clean Air
- Geography: Cities such as Madikeri, Aizawl, and Kannur are located in hilly areas and along coasts. They are surrounded by a dense green cover and are favored by winds and rain to disperse pollutants.
- Less Urban Pressure: Compared to a metro city, these areas have fewer people, fewer polluting manufacturing, less roads, and thus fewer cars.
- Community Support: Citizens actively assist in afforestation drives and local clean-air campaigns.
- Policy: Municipal authorities can enforce air quality standards based on the accommodation rather than the excessive size of their urban geographies.
- Climate: Rain and wind often follow climatic patterns every year, most commonly in the Western Ghat states and Delhi.
Clean Air and Its Impact on Real Estate
- Market Shift to Clean-Air Cities: We are seeing a rental housing increase in areas such as Tirunelveli and Madikeri as more buyers are valuing clean air and health over urban convenience.
- Evolving Buyer Profile: There is now greater interest in additional housing from remote workers, retirees, and families prioritizing their health for the long term, santé in less polluted cities.
- Clean air has become a real estate value addition: Builders are increasingly using “clean-air homes” in their marketing practices. Home features promote air purifiers, green terraces, and indoor-outdoor living. The Air Quality Index, previously a niche feature, is now a marketing tool and is used as a selling point.
- Government assistance and local policies: Clean-Air cities represent local government activities, including the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and afforestation, fresh dust control, and emissions checks, providing cleaner Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and making them more livable.
- Livability and Health Benefits: Clean-air cities are creating fewer respiratory ailments and health costs, but are also building a resilient real estate market for the future.
Boost to Tourism and Urban Branding
Places like Madikeri, Gangtok, and Aizawl are becoming wellness destinations (where visitors can get clean air and escape polluted cities). More tourists are staying longer because of the salubrious environments and outdoor experiences available at these destinations. States like Tamil Nadu and Mizoram are publishing clean air tourism campaigns that pride themselves on heritage and nature. With cleaner air, monuments and natural features deteriorate less quickly. Eco-lodges, homestays, and local businesses are seeing more and more foot traffic and repeat foot traffic sustainably.
Government Policies and Local Initiatives
- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): NCAP launched in 2019, focusing on 131 cities with a target to reduce levels of PM in air by 20 to 30% by 2026 through improved health emissions, public transport, dust control, and management.
- State Level Initiatives: Tamil Nadu has focused on afforestation and dust prevention. Karnataka has focused on vehicle fitness for emissions and vegetation in cities. The northeastern states have made strides with the preservation of forests and biomass management.
- Technology for Transparency: Tools like the PRANA portal and SAFAR. Tracking air quality and forecasting in real-time.
- Citizen Engagement: Providing ‘clean city’ awards. Campaigns in schools. Community engagement drives – championing citizen pride.
- Collectively, these efforts enable Tier-2 cities to surpass improvements made by older metros in achieving improved AQI.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
- Implementation Gaps: While policies like NCAP exist, on-the-ground implementation is variable across cities.
- Urbanization Pressure: Increased population density, construction, and vehicle density threaten recent air quality improvements.
- Climate Uncertainty: Changes in rainfall and temperature may also alter dispersion and the accuracy of pollutant monitoring.
- Path Forward: There needs to be more local implementation and enforcement, real-time and decentralized monitoring, and climate-resilient urban planning.
- Vision for 2030: If there are sustained efforts with accountability, by 2030 India could achieve 25 cities or more in the “Good AQI” category, so that clean air could become a usual, common expectation rather than the exception.
Conclusion
Clean air is transforming India’s urban future, promoting healthy, wealthy, livable cities. Each clean air leader not only represents blue skies but also represents a sustainable, progressive development model. These cities are testament to the power of collective effort in achieving a healthier and more sustainable urban environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)?
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a government initiative launched in 2019 to reduce levels of particulate matter in the air by 20 to 30% by 2026. It focuses on 131 cities and includes measures like improved emissions, public transport, dust control, and management.
How does clean air impact real estate in India?
Clean air is becoming a significant value addition in the real estate market. Cities with better air quality are seeing an increase in rental housing and a shift in buyer profiles, with more remote workers, retirees, and health-conscious families moving to these areas. Builders are also marketing ‘clean-air homes’ with features like air purifiers and green terraces.
Which cities in India have the best air quality in 2025?
The top 10 cities with the best air quality in 2025 are Tirunelveli, Naharlagun, Madikeri, Vijayapura, Thanjavur, Koppal, Varanasi, Hubballi, Kannur, and Chhal. These cities are primarily located in the South and Northeast regions of India.
What are the main drivers of clean air in these cities?
The main drivers of clean air in these cities include favorable geography (hilly areas and coasts), less urban pressure, community support, effective government policies, and favorable climate conditions. These factors help in reducing pollution and maintaining better air quality.
What are the challenges in maintaining clean air in Indian cities?
Challenges in maintaining clean air include implementation gaps in government policies, increasing urbanization pressure, and climate uncertainty. These factors can threaten recent air quality improvements and require sustained efforts and accountability to address.
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