Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath has ignited a debate by suggesting that real estate prices should be tied to air quality, arguing that properties in high-pollution areas should see lower valuations due to the health risks involved.
Kamath’s stance was influenced by his conversation with entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, which shattered his assumption that only Delhi suffers from poor air quality and only in winter. His recent experiences in Mumbai and Bengaluru reinforced this realisation.
“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,” Kamath wrote on LinkedIn.
Delhi Elections 2025: EC demands evidence from Kejriwal over ‘poison in Yamuna’ remarks
Delhi election a battle of two ideologies, says Kejriwal, accuses BJP of giving ‘freebies’ to corporates
Housing sales across India’s top cities drop 26% in Q4: Which city defied the trend?
Delhi air pollution: GRAP 3 restrictions invoked as air quality drops amid foggy conditions
While recording a podcast in Mumbai’s Bandra, Kamath was shocked to find the AQI at 160+ in a sea-facing apartment. Similarly, his Bengaluru office in JP Nagar, considered a quiet area, recorded an AQI of 120+.
“If the AQI was this high in Bandra, imagine the levels in more congested areas,” he noted, adding that Bengaluru’s rapid construction and poor roads worsen air pollution.
Kamath has previously proposed linking property values to air and water quality, suggesting a ‘property price discount’ for high-AQI areas as a way to push for better environmental policies.
Earlier, Biotech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, famous for his extreme longevity experiments, didn’t just talk about health on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast—he lived it. Midway through their conversation, Johnson, who was wearing a face mask, abruptly cut the discussion short, citing India’s air pollution as the reason.
The dramatic moment came when Kamath asked just how bad the air quality was. Johnson quipped, “I can’t see you over there.”
