The Indian aircare market is experiencing significant growth, driven by consumer interest in room-specific experiences and wellness-oriented products. With an increasing focus on convenience, brands are innovating to offer low-maintenance, versatile formats that cater to consumers’ busy lifestyles.
The demand for aromatherapy and functional fragrances is rising, positioning aircare as an essential component of self-care routines. Gen Z and car owners are key demographics, seeking products that enhance mood and provide lasting freshness. Safety and non-toxic formulations are becoming critical factors in purchase decisions for younger aircare users, reflecting a broader awareness of health and environmental impacts.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Growth in the aircare market and room-specific product demand
- Wellness focus in aircare, with aromatherapy leading innovations
- Rising consumer demand for convenient and versatile aircare formats
- Increasing importance of safe, non-toxic aircare products
- Gen Z’s role in driving aircare adoption and preferences
- Emphasis on long-lasting, personalised aircare for car owners
- Integration of technology and AI in aircare solutions
Consumers want cleaner, purposeful living. Brands must deliver wellness-led, convenient aircare solutions for modern routines. Functional fragrances balancing emotional uplift, safety and ease-of-use across the home/car are the next growth phase.
Sainethra Hariharan, Research Analyst – Beauty, Personal Care and Household – India
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The outlook of aircare in India
- Frame aircare as a tool for Gen Z to boost mood and improve focus
- Graph 1: features interested in trying in aircare products, by generation, 2025
- Capture modern car owners with personalised, long-lasting aircare
- Prioritise safety in aircare to reach health-conscious aircare users
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KEY TRENDS AND MARKET FACTORS
- What you need to know
- Brands capitalise on aircare growth and interest in room-specific experiences
- Surge in Indian aircare launches
- Graph 2: % of aircare launches, 2020-24
- Aircare drives growth in India’s household care market, led by traditional products
- Graph 3: sub-categories in aircare, 2022-24
- Graph 4: % of launches in aircare products, 2022-24
- Consumers seek novel experiences and emotions
- Consumers are managing their emotional environment room by room
- Global air freshener innovations reflect the growing demand for a better user experience
- Wellness is on the minds of Indian consumers
- Heightened stress and sleeplessness pave the way for wellness-driven innovations in aircare
- Focus on aircare products and their impact is growing as Indians seek products that help their health
- Health is a prominent topic
- Indian brands are emphasising wellness across aircare formats
- Globally, cross-category collaboration creates immersive wellness experiences
- Convenience is becoming fundamental to the category
- Indian consumers want convenient options
- Convenience claims are on the rise
- Graph 5: aircare launches, by convenience claim category, 2020-25
- Graph 6: aircare launches, by convenience claims, 2020-25
- Indian brands embrace diverse aircare formats for enhanced convenience
- Brands are exploring on-the-go aircare for various uses and spaces
- Globally, aircare leverages AI and smart devices for ultimate convenience
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What you need to know
- Embrace wellness in aircare to reach Gen Z from relaxation to performance
- Gen Z show higher engagement with air fresheners and scented candles
- Graph 7: usage of selected aircare products in the last 12 months, 2025
- Graph 8: spaces where aircare/air freshener products have been used by Gen Z aircare users in the last 12 months, 2025
- Position aircare as a mood- and focus-enhancer for Gen Z
- Graph 9: features interested in trying, by generation, 2025
- Now: aromatherapy claims are rising, creating opportunities to move beyond relaxation
- Now: enhance mood and daily performance with aircare
- Now: foster trust in aromatherapeutic mood boost benefits by connecting with specific lifestyle trends
- Now: build distinct focus-inducing ranges with clear daypart cues
- Now: help users sleep well via aircare
- Now: transform the home into a sanctuary providing day-to-night scent routines for Gen Z
- Next: provide evidence for functional health benefits
- Case study: Karpure Wellbeing Collection Pack
- Next: boost wellbeing while combating odour
- Graph 10: consumers who selected removes bad odour as an important factor while buying aircare products, by generation, 2025
- Next: hybrid fresheners/humidifiers can step up to provide aromatherapy along with odour neutralisation
- Future: smart aircare as a daily self-care companion
- Future: aircare can explore women’s wellness needs during different life stages
- Attract car owners with convenience and durability
- Growing car ownership signal aircare’s growth
- Convenience attracts, longevity retains
- New formats blend longevity with ease-of-use
- From road rage to relaxation, car scents can act as emotional tools
- Graph 11: fragrance moods of aircare products in the car, by car ownership, 2025
- Now: Indian brands go beyond freshening with durable, mood-led car scents
- Now: car fragrances can make commutes and road trips more enjoyable
- Now: in-car aircare can deliver relaxation without compromising alertness
- Now: create a niche with gender-specific scents
- Next: durable smart solutions can appeal to car owners
- Next: become a lifestyle product with longevity and personalisation options
- Graph 12: features interested in trying in aircare products, by car ownership, 2025
- Next: invest in compact, durable air fresheners for car commuters with options to customise the fragrance intensity
- Next: enhance scent experiences with tailored solutions
- Future: a new category of aircare products with AI-powered solutions for convenient usage and mood enhancement for car owners
- Address younger consumers’ demand for safer, healthier aircare
- Irritation is on top of consumers’ minds
- Target affluent Gen Z and Millennials with hypoallergenic benefits for extended households
- Align ‘clean fragrance’ with safety
- Graph 13: fragrance moods of aircare products across spaces, by aircare users who look for non-allergic or non-irritant aircare products, 2025
- Now: fuse natural positioning with allergy-safe credentials to reignite aircare innovation
- Graph 14: important factors while buying aircare products, by aircare users who look for non-allergic or non-irritant aircare products, 2025
- Now: address health anxiety with safer, toxin-free formulas
- Now: plant-based can address the demand of health-conscious consumers
- Now: leverage trusted hygiene brands and familiar scents to de-risk aircare launches
- Next: offer safety for both the skin and eyes
- Next: lead with child-safe credentials and multi-surface efficacy to convert safety-seeking young families
- Next: expand into kitchen aircare to link safety with natural efficacy
- Future: highlight product safety with hormone-friendly formulas
- Future: infuse skincare benefits to further enhance product functionality
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APPENDIX
- Generations
- Consumer survey methodology
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