The irony is that IAQ is often worse than outdoor air quality, yet it doesn’t garner the same attention because it’s invisible and intangible, unlike outdoor pollution.
Come Diwali, and each year, North India celebrates smog season, extending all through the winter months and beyond. As we write this, the AQI in parts of New Delhi (where, thankfully, we are not based) is well over 300 – not even the highest this season has seen. A harrowing state of affairs – one that is spoken about fervently among the media, civil society, and the general public. But still one that hasn’t been effectively addressed – reports suggest that as many as 1.5 million people in the country die every year due to the alarming air quality.
To escape the dystopian horror outside, we – at least those of us who can – lock ourselves up indoors, in our air conditioned homes and offices, but that hardly solves the problem. Unfortunately, most people don’t know that the quality of indoor air can be worse – two to five times worse – than that of outdoor air. What makes it worse is that we spend about 90% of our time indoors.
Nitin Naik, Founder and Managing Partner at Dew Point, is all too aware of this scenario. He is also familiar with what he calls the “annual ritual” of air quality conversations and the accompanying “enthusiasm to make an impact which does not outlast the season”. Most importantly, he is deeply aware that improving indoor air quality is just as important, if not more important, than working on outdoor air quality.
An electrical engineer by training, Nitin has over three decades of experience in the field of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). He spent his early career developing a solid foundation in engineering operations, regulatory registrations, plant maintenance, and project management with MNCs in the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors.
With the technical expertise and “strong interpersonal and social skills” he developed in his decade-long corporate experience, Nitin took the leap into entrepreneurship. In 2000, he established Dew Point: the starting point of a journey that, today, has led him to the critical field of indoor air quality (IAQ).
Based in Goa, Dew Point is the Manufacturer's Representative for variable speed drives, HVAC valves and IAQ monitors representing leading industry brands in India. It caters to the pharmaceutical, F&B, IT, and building and construction industries.
Nitin’s early journey
For some entrepreneurs today, simply living in a city like New Delhi is reason enough to work on air quality. But when Nitin began his journey as a founder, his motivations were different. After ten years of working on engineering projects, Nitin had developed the confidence, network, and skill to take decisions independently. He felt limited by the routine of employment and the pre-defined constraints a job placed not just in his daily activities, but also in his thought process.
“The system will not allow you to think beyond your functional responsibilities. The drive to have greater independence, especially the freedom to make business decisions, was a significant motivator. I saw entrepreneurship as an opportunity to channel my technical knowledge, professional experience, and personal aspirations into creating something of my own,” he tells us.
In search of more opportunities and experiences, Nitin began to pave his entrepreneurial path. It was every bit as fulfilling as he imagined. “As an entrepreneur, you are able to strategise your own business and take decisions independently. Entrepreneurship enabled me to change course when necessary and utilise my abilities to the fullest.” Entrepreneurship is also what allowed him to “explore niche areas like indoor air quality and adapt to the changing business environment, especially post the pandemic”.
On the importance of community in the industry
Nitin is the founder of a successful business in the HVAC space, but his claim to fame extends far beyond that. He is well-known in industry circles for his consistent and dedicated contributions to industry bodies.
In the past, he has held various leadership positions at Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) in the capacity of National Secretary, then National Vice Chair of Programs, and Regional Director of the West zone. He is also an active member of ASHRAE, or the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, volunteering at various regional leadership positions as well as at society technical committees. He has been a member of the International Air Quality Association (IAQA) & the International Society for Indoor Air Quality (ISIAQ).
That’s quite a brag sheet and a clear testament to Nitin’s care for the HVAC community. But he asserts that he is only “giving back to the industry that has given him so much.” He has gained several opportunities for professional growth and business development in these organisations; his leadership roles have given him a platform to pay it forward, to make meaningful contributions to further the industry.
“I’ve always believed in the importance of continuous growth — both personal and professional — and that’s what initially drew me to industry bodies like ISHRAE, ASHRAE and a few others. I wanted to upgrade my technical skills, network with experts and leaders from across the globe, and most importantly, give back to the industry and community that I work with every day.” This symbiotic relationship has enriched a community in much need of more attention and resources.
The IAQ question: an idea whose time has come?
Nitin is a thought leader and a vocal advocate for indoor air quality monitoring and improvement. Even a brief conversation with him makes it clear just how deeply he understands the space. His passion for healthier indoor environments is indisputable. This passion is essential for Nitin to do what he does: after all, sustaining public interest in IAQ and increasing the adoption of tangible solutions is an uphill battle.
The IAQ monitoring and improvement industries certainly had their time in the spotlight when the world was held hostage by Covid-19, an airborne viral infection. The pandemic “undoubtedly brought the issue of indoor air quality into sharper focus, making the average building occupant more aware of the hidden dangers lurking in the air they breathe,” shares Nitin.
At the same time, Nitin laments that focus was fairly short-lived. “While the pandemic served as a wake-up call, the momentum seems to be waning. As we move further away from the crisis, complacency is setting in again. I genuinely hope we don’t need another wake-up call of Covid’s magnitude to re-ignite awareness.”
Though a terrifying time for people over the world, the pandemic helped make a business case for the importance of IAQ monitoring. Nitin agrees, telling us that from a business perspective, the landscape has improved to some extent. But his optimism remains tempered by the significant obstacles he sees in the path of his important mission. “It is definitely easier now to make the case for air quality monitoring compared to the pre-Covid era, but the challenge remains significant. The increased awareness is largely limited to large corporations, particularly those pursuing building certifications where IAQ monitoring is mandated. Unfortunately, outside these frameworks, the willingness to invest in IAQ solutions declines rapidly.”
What will it take for people to give IAQ the importance it deserves? What will it take for people to give human health the importance it deserves? These questions – and their answers – drive Nitin’s work. It is, according to Nitin, largely about “shifting public perception and understanding”, about mindset. His work is a battle against the mindset that operating costs and system efficiencies take precedence over occupant health and well-being. A mindset that needs to change if we’re to achieve truly healthy indoor environments on a wide scale.
Equity above all else
Our conversations with Nitin spanned the challenges of the Global South in balancing industrialisation with environmental and human health, the role of HVAC industry bodies, the part played by governments, and the influence of the media and civil society conversations. When he says that he wants indoor environments to be healthier for all, he truly means all.
In speaking of topics like localised IAQ standards, incentivising sustainable farming practices, community engagement campaigns, and urban planning, he insists that “equity must underpin all these strategies”. We are, after all, only as strong as our weakest link, so “vulnerable groups, such as low-income families and small-scale farmers, should not bear disproportionate burdens”. Governments and organisations working to build healthier environments must devise solutions which uplift weak sections of society while protecting their livelihoods and health. As we near the end of the SDG era, he believes it is more important than ever before for the Global South to “chart a path toward sustainable development without compromising environmental and public health”.
In all he says and does, Nitin embodies the principle of purpose over profits. As an entrepreneur, his guiding philosophy extends beyond simply earning a livelihood for himself and his family. He is guided by the desire to travel, to meet people from diverse backgrounds, and to refine his approach to business so that he can achieve the greatest impact.
Nothing we can say about Nitin captures the full essence of what he stands for, so we have to conclude with Nitin’s own words: “As someone managing a small enterprise, I understand that my contributions will not make a large ripple in the grand scheme of things. However, if I were to be remembered for anything, I would hope it is for creating awareness about the importance of healthy buildings and their impact on everyday lives. My goal has always been to advocate for better indoor environments — not just for those working in large, certified commercial buildings but for the average building occupant whose comfort, health, and well-being often go unnoticed. If my work has helped even a handful of people understand the significance of indoor air quality or inspired a shift toward prioritising healthier indoor spaces, I would consider that a meaningful impact.”
In the mission to make clean indoor air a given, our society still has a long way to go. Nitin and his industry peers persist in this vital quest.