S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), inaugurated the Indigenous Air Quality Monitoring System (AQ-AIMS) and launched the Air-Pravah App on Wednesday. These innovations, supported by MeitY, represent a significant advancement in air quality monitoring technology.

S Krishnan highlighted the system’s cost-effectiveness and its alignment with the ‘Make in India’ initiative. “The AQ-AIMS is available in three variants to meet the diverse needs of industries. It has been rigorously tested and validated for various air quality parameters,” he said.

Additional Secretary, MeitY, Bhuvanesh Kumar, emphasized MeitY’s commitment to supporting research and development from concept to product to meet industrial needs. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) noted that this system would aid in granting environmental clearances.

Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata, in collaboration with TeXMIN (ISM, Dhanbad) and J M Envirolab Pvt Ltd, AQ-AIMS monitors environmental pollutants like PM 1.0, PM 2.5, PM 10, SO2, NO2, O3, CO, CO2, temperature, and humidity. Following successful trials and certification from the National Physical Laboratory, Delhi, and TUV India, Pune, the system is now being commercialized by J M Envirolab Pvt Ltd and is available on the GeM portal. This innovative solution is a cost-effective alternative to traditional instruments.

The AQ-AIMS system is complemented by the “Air-Pravah” mobile application, which provides real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring. The app offers features such as quick setup, data visualization, unit conversions, AQI comparison, multi-device support, data analysis tools, remote monitoring, and automatic updates. It will be available on the Android Play Store, and users can activate it by registering with the unique device ID of their AQ-AIMS device.

The inauguration ceremony, held at MeitY in New Delhi, included the presence of S Krishnan, Bhuvanesh Kumar, Smt Sunita Verma (Group Coordinator, MeitY), E Magesh (DG, C-DAC), Dr. Om Krishan Singh (Scientist ‘D’, MeitY), Smt Hena Ray (Scientist E, C-DAC, Kolkata), Sangit Saha (Scientist C, C-DAC, Kolkata), industry partners, and other dignitaries.