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Bryan Johnson’s recent podcast made Nithin Kamath, Zerodha co-founder, realize that air pollution isn’t just a problem in Delhi.
Zerodha co-founder proposed an idea to link property prices with air quality. (Photo Credits: X)
Billionaire Bryan Johnson abruptly walked out of Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s podcast due to poor air quality at a Mumbai hotel, bringing renewed attention to India’s widespread pollution problem. The incident led Zerodha’s other co-founder, Nithin Kamath, to realise that air pollution isn’t just limited to Delhi.
While recording the podcast in a sea-facing room in Bandra, Mumbai, Nithin was surprised to find the Air Quality Index (AQI) reading over 160—much higher than he had expected. To further investigate, he checked the AQI at Zerodha’s office in JP Nagar, Bengaluru and was shocked to see it exceeding 120. This discovery led him to propose an idea: linking property prices to air quality. He suggested that areas with poorer air should have lower property rates, while cleaner regions should command higher prices.
Sharing his thoughts on X, Nithin wrote, “The biggest takeaway from meeting Bryan Johnson was debunking the myth that only Delhi faces air quality issues and only in winter. While recording Nikhil Kamath’s WTF podcast in a sea-facing apartment in Bandra, the AQI was a whopping 160+. If it’s this high in Bandra, imagine the levels in more crowded areas. Later, I got an AQI meter for our Bengaluru office in JP Nagar, a quiet corner of the city and was shocked to see it reading 120+. Again, imagine how much worse it might be in the busier parts. Bengaluru’s problem is worsened by dust from ongoing construction and poor roads.”
Nithin Kamath pointed out that in countries like the US and Europe, air quality is usually below 50. He explained that an AQI between 50 and 100 is moderate, 100 to 150 is poor and anything above 150 becomes harmful. Long-term exposure to bad air can harm the lungs, heart and immune system, which increases the risk of serious health issues. He mentioned that in cities like Delhi, the air quality can become extremely bad. He shared that everyone should have access to clean air, just like clean water, which can be filtered. According to Nithin, people have gotten used to breathing polluted air, even though clean air is a basic right for all citizens.
The co-founder asked, “So, shouldn’t property prices be linked to AQI? The higher the AQI, the lower the real estate prices should be. That means if an area has poor air quality, property prices and rents should be lower and vice versa. After all, by living in such areas, you are accepting higher odds of respiratory ailments, cancer, etc. There also doesn’t seem to be much research on this in India. Perhaps some large hospital chains would be willing to provide anonymised data sets on health issues for researchers to work on. We are trying to improve quality of life and air quality plays a significant role in many cities across the country.”
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “AQI in cities is probably due to dust particles. In a tropical country like India, there is no grass cover or mulch. So there are a lot of micro dust particles on the road that rise with traffic. It’s important to know the reasons. AQI is high throughout the year even when nothing is burning.”
Another shared, “I moved back to India after 35 years in US. Everything else is fine, or one can adjust to. The air is, literally, a killer. Even a bigger pity that so few people understand this. I was in Seattle with one of the cleanest air quality of a major city. Why have we ruined India?”
One more added, “Most people would love to buy property at AQI-related pricing. Imagine getting a 4 BHK in Bandra for 30 lakhs because AQI is poor. Not happening.”
Since the post was shared on X, it has garnered over five lakh views.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
