Commission for Air Quality Management

What Commission for Air Quality Management does

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory regulatory body of the Government of India established under the CAQM Act, 2021, operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Headquartered at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan in New Delhi, CAQM coordinates air quality management across the National Capital Region and adjoining areas (Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan), with statutory authority to issue binding directions, impose environmental compensation, and override state pollution control boards on air quality matters. The Commission's primary regulatory instrument is the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a four-stage emergency framework triggered by Air Quality Index thresholds that escalates restrictions on construction, vehicular movement, and industrial activity. CAQM also operates direct enforcement through Flying Squads, which have inspected 8,580 sites and issued 491 closure orders to non-compliant units as of October 2022.

CAQM's technology portfolio includes the SAMEER mobile application for public air quality information, the PAVAN (Platform for Air Quality Vigilance & Analytics for NCR) platform currently under procurement through RFP, and a drone-based farm fire monitoring system deployed across five North Indian states to provide real-time detection of stubble burning incidents. The SuVaS (Shudh Vayu Sampark) initiative serves as a stakeholder engagement and capacity-building forum. Notable recent partnerships include a November 2025 MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for industrial emissions collaboration and a December 2025 Expert Committee constituted with IIT Madras to recommend vehicular emission and EV transition strategies.

CAQM does not generate commercial revenue. Its funding flows through central government budgetary allocations under MoEFCC, and any environmental compensation charges collected from polluters (such as the Supreme Court-approved hikes on commercial vehicles entering Delhi) are channeled into government accounts rather than retained by the Commission. Its served constituents are state pollution control boards, approximately 2,321 large and medium industrial units in Delhi-NCR required to meet PM emission standards of 50 mg/Nm³, agricultural stakeholders across Punjab and Haryana affected by stubble burning directives, the transportation sector subject to vehicular emission controls, and the construction and demolition sector required to deploy dust mitigation measures. CAQM derives its competitive position from statutory authority rather than market-based differentiation.

Name

Commission for Air Quality Management

Legal name

Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas

Website

https://caqm.nic.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Commission for Air Quality Management is a statutory Indian government body established in 2021 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to coordinate and enforce air quality management across Delhi-NCR and adjoining states through GRAP, Flying Squad inspections, and binding directions to industry, transport, and agriculture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees and Environmental Compensation: CAQM does not generate commercial revenue. It imposes environmental compensation charges on polluters, particularly commercial vehicles entering Delhi and stubble burning incidents. The Supreme Court approved enhanced ECC rates: Category 2-3 vehicles from Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,000; Category 4-5 vehicles from Rs 2,600 to Rs 4,000, with 5% annual increase.
2. Government Funding: As a statutory commission under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, CAQM operates on government budgetary allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory regulatory body that coordinates air quality management across Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas in India. It issues binding directions to industries, state governments, and pollution control boards, implements the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), enforces emission standards, and imposes environmental compensation charges on polluters. It also operates technology platforms for air quality monitoring and analytics.

Product overview

The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) is a statutory regulatory body established under the CAQM Act, 2021. CAQM is not a technology product company but a regulatory authority responsible for coordinating air quality management across Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas. Its primary functions include implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), issuing directions to industries, state governments, and pollution control boards, and monitoring compliance with air quality standards. CAQM operates technology platforms including PAVAN (an analytics platform under development) and the SAMEER mobile application for public air quality information. The Commission's work encompasses regulatory frameworks, enforcement actions, public awareness programs (SuVaS), and technology-enabled monitoring solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan): A stage-based emergency air pollution response framework implemented across Delhi-NCR with escalating restrictions based on air quality levels
• SuVaS (Shudh Vayu Sampark)
• PAVAN (Platform for Air Quality Vigilance & Analytics for NCR)

Products and services

• SAMEER App
• PAVAN (Platform for Air Quality Vigilance & Analytics for NCR)
• SuVaS (Shudh Vayu Sampark)

Quantifiable outcome

• Stubble burning incidents in Haryana reduced to 206 from 888 (77% decline) through proactive enforcement and incentive-based interventions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IIT Madras (Expert Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025CAQM constituted Expert Committee chaired by IIT Madras Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala to develop strategies for addressing vehicular emissions in Delhi-NCR. Committee reviews clean mobility policies, assesses segment-wise vehicular emission contributions, and recommends measures for accelerated EV transition and air pollution abatement. Committee required to submit recommendations within two months.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025CAQM and CII signed MoU on November 1, 2025 to collaborate on improving air quality across Delhi NCR. Partnership focuses on industrial and construction emissions through recalibrated policies for emissions compliance and awareness/capacity-building programs for industries, farmers, and citizens. CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma emphasized industry responsibility in driving large-scale change through cleaner production practices.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)coreTechnology or IntegrationCPCB provides air quality monitoring data and technical recommendations. CAQM deferred PM norms deadline following CPCB recommendations. CPCB conducts assessments and investigations of pollution violations on CAQM directions.
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry overseeing CAQM operations and policy framework under CAQM Act 2021.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Green Tribunal (NGT): India's dedicated environmental adjudication body that issues notices to CAQM, state governments, and CPCB on pollution matters and hears GRAP violation petitions. A peer-level institutional actor in the Delhi-NCR environmental enforcement ecosystem.
• Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC): State-level regulator implementing GRAP restrictions and industrial compliance monitoring for NCT of Delhi. Operates in the same regulatory domain as CAQM but at state level, receiving and executing CAQM directions for Delhi-specific enforcement.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): India's apex national pollution control body under the Ministry of Environment, which provides CAQM with air quality monitoring data, conducts pollution assessments, and investigates violations on CAQM's directions. Closest direct counterpart as a federal-level environmental regulator.
• Punjab Pollution Control Board: Implements CAQM's stubble burning prevention directions and recorded 3,284 farm fire incidents Sept-Nov 2025 vs 5,041 in 2024. A state-level peer that executes CAQM directives in source states.
• Haryana State Pollution Control Board: Achieved the sharpest decline in stubble burning (206 incidents from 888 through proactive enforcement) under CAQM's coordination framework. A state-level enforcement peer executing CAQM's directives on the ground.

Broad incumbents

• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Federal-level environmental regulator with statutory authority to set ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), enforce emissions limits, and oversee state implementation plans. Comparable in regulatory function (ambient air standards, enforcement) though operating in a different jurisdictional model.
• UK Environment Agency: UK regulator with statutory powers to issue permits, conduct inspections, and enforce environmental compliance on industrial emissions. Comparable in enforcement toolkit (site inspections, closure-equivalent orders, environmental penalties).
• Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China: China's national environmental authority overseeing air pollution control, setting ambient standards, and coordinating enforcement across provinces — a comparable national-level coordinator facing analogous air-quality challenges.
• European Environment Agency (EEA): EU-level body providing air quality data, assessments, and policy support across member states. Functionally analogous to CAQM's coordinating role across multiple Indian states, with comparable emphasis on cross-border air pollution monitoring.

Emerging players

• IQAir: Private air quality monitoring and analytics company operating the world's largest ground-based air quality sensor network. A peer in air quality data and analytics infrastructure that CAQM's PAVAN platform is intended to compete with or complement at scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAQM_Official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caqm-official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Commission for Air Quality Management