Air conditioner sales in India are booming

The scorching heatwave in India is forcing people to make tough choices

Ram Chandra, a junk dealer living near Delhi, bought his first air conditioner ever for his children's bedroom. The brutal heat was unbearable, and his kids were struggling. This relief came at a price though, as his electricity bill skyrocketed. Many Indians rely on fans to beat the heat, but this year's relentless heatwave is driving a surge in air conditioner sales, surprising even industry veterans.

Air conditioners stacked one over another to combat extreme heatwave all over india

Air conditioner sales in India are booming! This summer, they're expected to grow by a whopping 60%, compared to the usual 25-30% increase. Industry veterans like Mr. Thiagarajan remember a time when demand peaked in late May, but now it starts surging in April.  Companies are selling air conditioners three times faster than before!

While only 8% of India's massive population owns air conditioners (and some have even more than one!), India is the world's fastest-growing market for these cool machines. Last year, China bought a staggering 90 million units, but India wasn't far behind with 12 million.

Experts predict a dramatic rise in AC ownership in India by 2050. They expect it to outpace all other appliances, including TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines.  By then, the electricity needed to power all these air conditioners could be more than what all of Africa uses today!

This surge in demand reflects several things: growing wealth in India, people's desire for a comfortable life, and of course, the increasingly extreme weather conditions.

homes in india are mostly made with bricks which makes them a hot as chimney

Notably, 95% of Indian air-con buyers are aspirational middle-class first-time purchasers; over 65% hail from smaller cities and towns; and more than half buy through zero-interest consumer loans. Also, the average buyer is now in their thirties. Most of the sales come from the hotter northern region – since mid-May, for example, daily temperatures in Delhi have consistently stayed around or above 40C (104F).

Experts say Indian cities have become “heat traps” due to unbalanced development. Nearly a billion people across 23 states are exposed to heat stress, according to CEEW. Green spaces are scarce. Rapid growth is swallowing up water bodies which help cool the environment. Increasing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, factories and construction activities are raising temperatures further. India’s high-rise boom has led to mostly poorly ventilated apartments and glass and chrome office buildings, which absorb and reflect heat. All this is making cities hotter and more uncomfortable to live in.

Men showering under extreme heatwave

Extreme heat is a major struggle for many Indians, even indoors. A survey found that over a third of people said their homes were uncomfortably hot.  Among those who can cool their homes, many rely on air conditioners or coolers, which can be expensive to run.

The survey also showed a big difference between rich and poor.  People who own cars were much less likely to find their homes uncomfortable in the heat. This suggests wealthier households are more likely to have air conditioning.  A different study confirms this - the gap between rich and poor when it comes to air conditioning is widening.

For poor people living in slums, the heat can be unbearable.  Their homes are often poorly ventilated and don't have reliable electricity, making air conditioners impractical.  One slum dweller described working in a luxury apartment with air conditioning as a welcome escape from the heat.

India needs to find ways to beat the heat for everyone.  This could involve restoring natural water sources, building houses designed to stay cool, and using more energy-efficient air conditioners.

Heatwave and global warming are serious concern