New Delhi Deploys India’s First Microalgae Air Tower Along Aerocity Corridor

Delhi: New Delhi has commissioned India’s first microalgae-based PureAir Tower™ along the Aerocity highway corridor, marking a new experiment in science-driven urban air mitigation. Installed on a busy central median, the structure transforms conventional road infrastructure into a functional biological air purification system.

Unlike conventional smog towers that rely on mechanical filtration and periodic filter replacement, the PureAir Tower™ uses photosynthetic microalgae to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) directly at street level. Through natural bioremediation, pollutants are converted into oxygen and algal biomass in real time, with minimal energy input and no secondary filter waste.

The project has been executed by C P Arora Private Limited, in collaboration with Carbelim Pvt Ltd, an IIT Madras–incubated deep climate-tech start-up supported by IIM Lucknow’s Enterprise Incubation Centre.

“We assessed global technologies across Europe, Mexico, Belarus, and Singapore before selecting a solution that could be engineered and manufactured entirely in India,” said Mr. Adithya Munjal, Director at CPA. “The goal was a scalable system that integrates seamlessly into existing road infrastructure.”

From Passive Median to Active Carbon Sink

Each PureAir Tower™ is designed to deliver an air purification impact comparable to more than 15 mature trees, continuously treating vehicular emissions in high-density traffic zones.

Building on this pilot, CPA is signed contract for three additional towers along with a one-kilometre deployment of Carbelim BioDivider™ panels with Carbelim. These modular systems are designed to convert road dividers into continuous green corridors. Each BioDivider™ panel provides purification equivalent to approximately two mature trees, with a one-kilometre installation collectively matching the impact of nearly 500 trees — without requiring additional land allocation or deep soil beds.

The system operates in a closed-loop biological cycle, converting captured pollutants into usable algal biomass, which can be processed into bio-fertiliser or biochar rather than generating hazardous by-products.

Dr. Karthika Gopi, Founder and CEO of Carbelim, said, “In dense urban corridors where conventional plantation is structurally impractical, infrastructure itself must become biologically responsive. Highways, bridges, and facades can function as distributed carbon sinks.”

Industrial Decarbonisation Beyond Urban Corridors

While the Aerocity installation addresses roadside emissions, Carbelim’s larger focus remains on industrial carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). The company integrates its trained microalgae consortium directly with industrial flue gas streams, enabling sectors such as energy, petroleum, and steel to reduce emissions while converting captured carbon into biochar and tradable carbon credits.

According to the startup, this circular model enables industries to align decarbonisation with revenue-linked recovery pathways, potentially achieving capital payback within three years.

Carbelim’s technology builds on three years of research and development across India, the United Kingdom, and the UAE. The company has developed a proprietary consortium of seven to eleven microalgae families engineered for higher environmental resilience and enhanced CO₂ capture efficiency. Field deployments have demonstrated continuous performance for up to 18 months from a single inoculation.

A Pilot Amid Persistent Air Quality Challenges

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently enters the “Severe” category during winter months, with PM2.5 concentrations often exceeding World Health Organization safety limits several-fold. While a single installation cannot offset the city’s broader pollution load, the Aerocity deployment represents a shift in approach — from emergency mitigation to embedded environmental infrastructure.

By integrating biological systems into the built environment, the project signals a move toward infrastructure that not only withstands pollution but actively mitigates it — positioning climate-responsive design as part of long-term urban planning.

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