Krish Aggarwal, a Class 12 student from Delhi's Sanskriti School, has been honored with a place on the 2026 Diana Award Roll of Honour for his groundbreaking work on Project Vayu. This initiative transforms ordinary classroom fans into highly effective, low-cost air purifiers, offering a vital solution to indoor air pollution in underprivileged schools.
Project Vayu: An Affordable Solution
Co-founded by Aggarwal with Samarth Meattle, a Class 11 student, Project Vayu addresses a critical need for affordable air quality solutions in educational settings. Many schools lack the resources to install conventional air purifiers in every classroom. Instead of costly replacements, Project Vayu utilizes existing infrastructure by attaching a specially designed filter to standard wall or table fans.
The core of the innovation lies in its filter, which costs approximately ₹140 to manufacture. These filters are made from electrostatically charged fibers, engineered to attract and trap fine particulate matter, including hazardous PM2.5 pollutants that can deeply penetrate the lungs. When a fan operates, the filter expands into a balloon-like shape, maximizing its surface area for pollutant capture.
Promising Results and Wide Reach
Tests conducted to assess Project Vayu's effectiveness have yielded impressive results. In a controlled environment, PM2.5 levels plummeted from 158 micrograms per cubic meter to just 11 micrograms per cubic meter within one hour—a reduction exceeding 90 percent. This demonstrates the system's significant potential in improving air quality.
Project Vayu provides these filters to schools free of charge, with monthly replacements, eliminating a major financial barrier for resource-constrained institutions. Initially, the initiative covered 295 classrooms across Delhi, deploying 602 filters and benefiting approximately 8,000 students. Its impact has since expanded, now reaching over 10,000 students in various underprivileged schools throughout the city. The team plans to extend the program to an additional 45 schools in New Delhi.
Recognized for Social Impact
Krish Aggarwal's recognition on the 2026 Diana Award Roll of Honour underscores the power of student-led innovation in tackling pressing social challenges. The Diana Award, established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, celebrates young individuals who are making a positive difference through social action, humanitarian efforts, and community initiatives.
As Delhi continues to battle severe air pollution, Project Vayu stands as a testament to how practical, affordable interventions can deliver cleaner air to those who need it most. By repurposing everyday technology, the initiative offers a scalable model for improving classroom air quality, potentially serving as a template for other pollution-affected regions.