Air quality in Indore
How bad is the air in Indore?
Indore’s 2025 average of AQI 77 is Satisfactory on the CPCB scale, and the median day was 71. 74 days crossed 100 (Moderate or worse) and 1 crossed 200 (Poor or worse).
The peak was AQI 254 on 31 December 2025. Coarse dust (PM10) set the index on 84% of days.
When Indore’s air is worst
November is the worst month at a mean of AQI 108; August the cleanest at ~46. That is the post-monsoon pattern: cooler nights lower the mixing height, winds drop, and whatever the city emits stays over it.
Plan around the profile, not the average: a purifier sized for November covers the rest of the year with headroom, and windows can be opened in August.
Pollution in Indore: what drives it
Across Madhya Pradesh, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 84% of 2025's days.
- vehicle exhaust
- construction dust
- industrial emissions
- waste burning
How Indore compares
Among the 62 cities we map, Indore has the 17th lowest annual AQI, against a median of 94 across those cities.
Elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior averaged AQI 123, Bhopal 112 and Jabalpur 84.
See the full ranking on the India Air Quality Index by city.
Do you need an air purifier in Indore?
Verdict
Not essential — Indore's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year.
Only 74 of 364 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
What actually works
- Size by volume, not the box. Coverage claims assume ~2 air changes an hour; a November night wants 5.
- Bedroom first. Eight closed-door hours a night is where a purifier makes its measurable difference.
- Watch the live number. On Good and Satisfactory days, ventilate; on Poor days, close up and run the unit at the speed that delivers its CADR.
06 · The other half
Water in Indore
Groundwater near Indore averages ~700 mg/L TDS on CGWB monitoring — high on the BIS scale. The same government-data report, for what you drink.
Air
AQI 77
Satisfactory
Water
700 mg/L
TDS · High
Indore air — questions
What is the AQI in Indore today?
Today's figure comes from CPCB's live station feed and is shown at the top of this page, updated hourly when the feed is reachable. For context, Indore averaged AQI 77 across 2025 and peaked at 254 on 31 December 2025, so a single day's reading should be judged against that range.
How bad is air pollution in Indore?
Indore's 2025 average of AQI 77 sits in CPCB's "Satisfactory" band. 1 day was Poor, Very Poor or Severe, and 290 days were Good or Satisfactory, out of 364 bulletin days.
Which month has the worst air quality in Indore?
November, with a monthly average of AQI 108 in 2025. August was the cleanest at ~46. The post-monsoon build-up, cooler nights and a lower mixing height trap pollution from October onwards.
Is the air in Indore safe to breathe?
On average, yes: an annual AQI of 77 is within the "Satisfactory" band, where CPCB expects only minor discomfort for sensitive people. Individual days still crossed into Moderate or worse 74 times in 2025, so sensitive groups should watch the daily number.
Do I need an air purifier in Indore?
Not essential — Indore's outdoor air stayed Satisfactory most of the year. Only 74 of 364 bulletin days went above Satisfactory. Indoor sources (cooking, incense, dust, a busy road outside) can still justify a purifier for a nursery or an allergy household, and sizing still matters — see the calculator.
Where does Indore's air pollution come from?
Across Madhya Pradesh, the usual drivers of poor air are vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and waste burning. CPCB bulletins name coarse dust (PM10) as the prominent pollutant on 84% of 2025's days.
Where does this air quality data come from?
From the Central Pollution Control Board's daily AQI bulletin, published at 4 PM as a 24-hour average for each city with continuous monitoring stations. This page aggregates 364 bulletin days for Indore in 2025, drawn from 6 stations. The live figure uses the same CPCB station network through the Government of India's open-data feed.
Air quality in other cities
Data sources
- CPCB Daily AQI Bulletin (4 PM, 24-hour average), 2025 — city-level National AQI, prominent pollutant and station counts
- CPCB National Air Quality Index (2014) — six-band scale used for all categories
- NAAQS 2009 (24-hour PM2.5 60 µg/m³, PM10 100 µg/m³) — the concentrations that mark the Satisfactory/Moderate boundary
- Live readings: CPCB real-time station feed via data.gov.in, refreshed hourly.
Primary dataset: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) National Air Quality Index, Government of India.
Disclaimer: Figures are city-level averages of the CPCB daily AQI bulletin for the year shown and may differ from the air at your address, which depends on traffic, construction and the nearest station. This page is general information, not medical advice; for respiratory or cardiac conditions consult a qualified professional. Any purifier guidance is general sizing advice, not a product recommendation.