“An air conditioner had become essential”. As millions of Indians who suffocate each year in the hot season, Aarti Verma has purchased this equipment for its priority, even if it contributes to warming up climate.
With the rise in living standards and temperatures, the number of air conditioners sold in the most populous country on the planet (1.4 billion inhabitants) should go from 14 million units in 2024 to 30 million by 2030. But to supply these particularly energy -energy devices, India will have to triple its electricity production.
The third largest greenhouse gas transmitter in the world still depends on the very polluting coal for its electricity. He consumed a billion tonnes in 2024-2025. In addition, the refrigerant gases of air conditioners, leaking, contribute to warming, as well as the hot air they reject.
But for the commercial Aarti Verma, 25, who walks the streets of New Delhi all day to see his customers, priority is elsewhere. “When I go home after a long day of work, I want a minimum of comfort,” explains the young woman, who earns 30,000 rupees (300 €) per month. “Before, I slept on the terrace. But it is now so hot at night that the air conditioner has become essential, “she explains in her modest two-room apartment in a disadvantaged district of the Indian capital.
Only 7% of equipped households
India is the fastest growth air conditioners in the world, although only 7% of households are equipped. “The progression of their sales is mainly due to the weather, the growth of the middle class, the good financing offers and offshore access to electricity,” according to Kj Jawa, director for India of the Japanese manufacturer Daikin.
“Today, it is no longer a luxury product but an investment, because a good night’s sleep is essential for our mental and physical well-being,” he explains to AFP.
More and more hot and long, Indian summers have pushed consumers to equip themselves. The inhabitants are traditionally broken to these hot heat, from April to June, but climate change has extended, multiplied and intensified their episodes around the world, have shown the work of scientists.
Infants, the elderly or sick and all those who work outdoors are particularly vulnerable. Scorching temperatures are at the origin of nearly 11,000 deaths between 2012 and 2021, according to Indian government data.
2024, the hottest year since 1901
Last year was the hottest in the country since 1901, with the longest heat wave ever recorded and temperatures that frequently exceeded 45 ° C. In May 2024, the capital New Delhi equaled its record two years earlier: 49.2 ° C.
According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Habitat, air conditioners help increase temperatures in urban areas, by at least one degree on average, because of the hot air they reject.
To cool off, Aarti Verma has long been content with an air refreshment, a huge – but rustic and noisy – turbine placed in front of a water tray to blow fresh air. But the constraint of her permanent refueling and the prospect of seeing mosquitoes settled there have convinced him to buy an air conditioner for the equivalent of 485 €, a small fortune for her.
“I could have bought gold with this money, it would have been a good investment,” she quips. She paid a deposit of 120 euros for purchase and will pay the rest in monthly payments.
In this very hot afternoon in April, the Imperial Refrigeration store, located in an old district of Delhi, does not start. Japsahib Singh Ahuja, 22, whose family has been holding this business for 50 years, rubs their hands. Its air conditioners have tripled for five years, boosted by new customers and those who replace their old devices.
More than 30 million inhabitants in Delhi
“Air conditioners do not last long, because there are many pollutants in Delhi’s air which cause corrosion and gas leaks,” explains the merchant. The Megapolus of Delhi, which has more than 30 million inhabitants, is one of the most polluted on the planet.
According to the UN Environment, air conditioners will be responsible for a quarter of CO emissions2 from India and will absorb almost half of its electricity request by 2050. But to date, the country has not joined its global commitment for cooling, intended to reduce the climate impact of air conditioning.
Japsahib Singh Ahuja does not worry about it, which notes the appetite of its customers every day for devices that are less greedy in electricity. The reversible models (hot/cold), on which the manufacturers regulate the temperature by 24 ° C by default, are now at the top of the sales, notes the seller. “Energy consumption ratings are now compulsory,” he adds, “we will all benefit.”
