A Delhi teenager has won the 2026 Diana Award for developing low-cost air filters that turn ordinary classroom fans into air purifiers. His initiative, Project Vayu, has helped more than 10,000 students breathe cleaner air in Delhi schools.
Krish Aggarwal, a student at Sanskriti School in New Delhi, is among the recipients of this year's Diana Award for his work on Project Vayu, an initiative aimed at tackling indoor air pollution in schools. He co-founded the project with fellow student Samarth Meattle to develop an affordable alternative to expensive commercial air purifiers.
A Rs 140 filter for every classroom
The Vayu filter uses electret filter media, a material containing electrostatically charged fibres that attract and capture fine airborne particles, including PM2.5. The low-cost retrofit filter is designed to attach to existing wall and ceiling fans without additional equipment or technical expertise.
Each filter costs approximately Rs 140 to make, including the filter media, elastic lining, stitching and transport. The team supplies the filters to schools free of charge and also provides a fan if a classroom does not have one. The project says it holds copyright on the filter design.
The team worked with Hollingsworth and Vose, a global filtration manufacturer headquartered in Massachusetts, on research and development to create the Vayu filter. The collaboration helped turn a school idea into a working product that could be fitted onto the fans already hanging in classrooms.
Reaching more than 10,000 students
According to the Diana Award's official website, the project has distributed filters across underprivileged schools in Delhi and benefited more than 10,000 students. Its pilot covered 295 classrooms, where 602 filters were installed, reaching more than 8,000 students.
Project Vayu has reported promising results from its own closed-room testing. In a room measuring approximately 168 square feet, the PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 158 micrograms per cubic metre before the filter was switched on. After 60 minutes, the reading had fallen to 11 micrograms per cubic metre, a reduction of more than 90 per cent.
These are project-reported test results rather than proof of equivalent performance in every classroom. The team is now planning to expand to 45 additional schools across New Delhi, while seeking partnerships with government bodies, NGOs and corporate sponsors.
What the Diana Award recognises
The Diana Award was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and recognises young people for social action and humanitarian work. The organisation's 2026 Roll of Honour highlights Aggarwal's work in promoting evidence-based environmental solutions and youth-led climate action.
The 2026 Roll of Honour features 198 young changemakers from 44 countries, including 49 recipients from India. Aggarwal's place on the list puts a classroom air pollution project from Delhi alongside youth-led work from around the world.
For schools that cannot afford standalone purifiers, the project offers a simple idea: use the fans already in the room. With the Diana Award behind it, Project Vayu now has a platform to reach more classrooms, and its founders are looking to scale up across the capital.
