Calcutta. Dec. 18: Sales of air purifiers have dipped nearly 40 per cent in Bengal, while overall consumer electronics sales declined 50 per cent in the state after demonetisation.

"Sales of air purifiers depend on the winter season. It is this time of the year when companies see significant growth. But this year, it has seen and will continue to see a major downturn," an industry expert said.

According to Euromonitor - a market intelligence firm -nationally, the air purifier industry has a market size of Rs 93.24 crore, which is expected to grow 20 per cent next year. Bengal has a market size of less than 5 per cent, with maximum sales in Calcutta.

"Demonetisation has affected our sales to a certain extent but it will resume soon and we hope people will prioritise health over other luxury," said Syed Moonis Ali Alvi, general manager (purifier business) of Panasonic India. The eastern region contributed around 5 per cent to the company's sales last year.

Blueair, which has not yet entered Bengal, is keeping a close watch on market trends. "We are planning to enter Bengal by September next year but we are studying the market closely. We hope that demonetisation would not have a long-term impact," said Girish Bapat, director of Blueair (west and south Asia).

Till mid-November, Philips India claims to have sold over 300 units in Bengal. "Till last year, sales were in the range of less than 100, but this year it has more than tripled with a rise in awareness and brand efforts," said A.D.A. Ratnam, president (personal health) at Philips India.

"The demand for air purifiers has been growing at more than 100 per cent month-on-month till October," Marzin Shroff, CEO of Eureka Forbes, said.

According to market research firm Research and Markets, demand for air purifiers in India grew at a CAGR of 27.72 per cent in the last six years on account of a massive increase in pollution levels.

Environmental experts, however, believe that purifiers are incapable of handling the rising levels of contamination.

"Air purifiers are not a solution as people will have to venture outdoors. We need to change our habits to bring down the pollution level," said Santhosh Jayaram, partner (sustainability and climate change ), KPMG.