PUNE: IntrCity SmartBus, India’s leading intercity mobility brand, today announced the launch of IntrCity SmartBus.AQI on the Pune–Nagpur and Nagpur–Pune routes, bringing India’s first air-purified bus service to travellers in the region.
The SmartBus.AQI service on the Pune–Nagpur route was formally flagged off in Pune in the esteemed presence of Mr. Shripad Bhagwat, Inspector of Motor Vehicles, RTO Pune, along with senior leadership from IntrCity SmartBus. The flag-off marked a significant milestone in IntrCity’s clean-air travel initiative, underscoring the company’s commitment to enhancing health, safety, and comfort standards in intercity bus travel.
Manish Rathi, Co-founder & CEO, IntrCity SmartBus, said, “Pune is a key intercity travel hub, with strong demand for long-distance routes such as Pune – Nagpur. With SmartBus.AQI, we are addressing an often-ignored aspect of travel – air quality inside the bus. Our goal is to ensure that passengers can travel long distances while breathing cleaner, safer air throughout the journey.”
IntrCity’s internal studies found that in-cabin air pollution on intercity routes can be 2–3× higher than WHO-recommended limits. To address this, the company partnered with Respirer Living Sciences, an award-winning ClimateTech firm, to equip SmartBus.AQI with continuous air purification and monitoring systems. Pilot runs maintained PM2.5 levels at around 40 µg/m³ for over 90% of the journey – significantly cleaner than typical outdoor air in major Indian cities.
Passengers travelling on the Pune–Nagpur corridor can easily identify these buses at the time of booking by the “IntrCity SmartBus.AQI” tag on the IntrCity app or website, which signifies advanced onboard air-quality control systems. During the journey, passengers will also have access to real-time AQI and PM2.5 readings, displayed on board and in the app, ensuring complete transparency.
The Pune–Nagpur launch builds on IntrCity’s earlier rollout of SmartBus.AQI across high-pollution North India routes, with more corridors to be added in subsequent phases. IntrCity has consistently introduced category-first innovations such as onboard washrooms, boarding lounges, digital check-ins, and trained Bus Captains with SmartBus.AQI, the company, extends this innovation to clean-air travel.
IntrCity has also introduced a dedicated SmartBus.AQI microsite (), where travellers can explore the technology, understand how air purification works, and learn more about this clean-air initiative.