~Brings together government bodies, actors, medical practitioners, citizen groups, educators and NDTV & Philips present ‘Breathe Clean Conclave’ 2015 corporate together to demand better indoor air quality~

New Delhi, August 25, 2015

India is home to 6 of the world’s most polluted cities, and the air we are breathing causes more deaths 

than tobacco smoking or poor nutrition. Indoor air is 2 to 5 times worse than outside air. It is toxic for 

our children and families, causing cancers, reduced life expectancy, lung damage and air borne allergies.

Inhaling pollutant air takes away atleast 1-2 years of a typical human life. In an effort to highlight this 

critical national issue and recommend possible solutions, NDTV and Philips hosted the ‘Breathe Clean 

Conclave 2015’ today at Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi. Actor Soha Ali Khan also extended her support for the 

initiative.

The conclave began with an opening keynote address by Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for 

Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge)  and was attended by leading medical 

practitioners, environmentalists, NGOs and concerned citizen and parent groups. The two panel 

discussions held as part of the Breathe Clean Conclave focused on Breathe Clean- Act for Better Air and 

Indoor Air Quality and Children’s Health.

Inaugurating the conclave, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and 

Climate Change (Independent Charge) said, “I am really happy that NDTV has taken this initiative 

because I feel media houses can make people aware and also help tackle issues. At the outset, I must say 

we have a problem as any other city in the world and this is because of growing population, growing 

density and growing rate of urbanization. Delhi air has gone bad in the last 8-10 years and if media 

would have started a campaign earlier it could have worked faster. We must create awareness of more 

ventilation, more plantation and more education to address this issue. I want to launch Fresh Air – My 

birth right campaign to help address this problem.“ 

Sharing his thoughts on the initiative, Vikram Chandra, Group CEO of NDTV said, “The health and 

economic impact of pollution is worrying and with the rising vehicular and industrial pollution, this 

national issue is only going to get worse. NDTV believes that clean air should be a basic human right. 

Through this conclave, we hope to give experts as well as citizens a platform to suggest 

recommendations to the government, as well as motivate people to take action at an individual level.”

Mr. Krishna Kumar, Managing Director and Vice President, Philips India, said, “The rising toll of 

deteriorating quality of air is becoming a household concern. A lot more potent than outdoor air 

pollution, indoor air pollution is increasingly being recognized as a threat. We, at Philips, recognize this 

challenge and are committed to deliver a healthier lifestyle for our consumers through meaningful 

innovations. Breathe Clean Campaign is an initiative to help consumers and institutions recognize the 

need to switch to healthier lifestyle practices. Since clean air has become a rarity, Philips is constantly 

innovating to bring about freedom from indoor air pollution.”

Soha Ali Khan, Actor, also voiced her concern and said, “It is alarming that the very air we are breathing 

can be so harmful to our health. I was shocked to find out that air pollution levels inside our homes can 

be twice as high as those outside. This is an issue that demands our immediate attention and I am happy 

to be associated with NDTV’s Breathe Clean Conclave, a platform dedicated to finding solutions to this 

crisis affecting all of us – especially children and the elderly.”

Moderated by Vikram Chandra, the first session had an eminent list of panelists including Soha Ali 

Khan, Actor; Prof Sanjay Zodpey, Vice President, Academics, Public Health foundation of India ; A 

Krishna Kumar, MD and CEO, Philips India; Dr Gary Stutte, Senior Scientist, NASA; Parthaa Bosu, India 

Director and South Asia Liaison, Clean Air Asia; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director - Research 

and Advocacy , Centre for Science and Environment; Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, MP, Odisha and Dr 

Randeep Guleria, Head of the Department of Pulmonology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences who 

shared their insights on how we can contribute for better clean air. 

The second discussion focused on the health impact of air pollution on children and was moderated by 

NDTV’s Ravish Kumar. The panel included Jayati Singh, Director and Business: Head Health and Wellness 

and Air, Philips Consumer Lifestyle; Kunal Kohli, Director and Concerned Parent; Dr Vivek Nangia, 

Pulmonologist, Fortis Hospital; Sushma Paul Berlia, Apeejay Stya & Svran Group, Barun Aggarwal, 

Breathe Easy and Dr Randeep Guleria, Head of the Department of Pulmonology, All India Institute of 

Medical Sciences. 

The closing key note address was delivered by Prof Sanjay 

Zodpey, Vice President, Academics, Public Health 

foundation of India. The key takeaways from the sessions 

were presented to Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar as 

recommendations for a clean air future.