Airshedem-Based Mitigation as a Pathway to Cleaner Air in India

India’s escalating air quality crisis persists despite numerous governmental policies and national initiatives, highlighting the urgent need for a transformative approach. This study presents a novel framework for redefining air quality management in India by integrating climatology, emission profiles, ambient air pollution, geography, and socio-economic and cultural dimensions. We first delineate regional airshedems across India using machine learning methods and survey-based insights, followed by characterization, and impact assessment of proposed methodology using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry. The analysis delineates India into 16 distinct airshedems. The characteristics of these regions reveal pronounced inequalities in air pollution levels and sectoral emission contributions, where two of 16 airshedems, covering ∼ 23% of the landmass, contributing ∼ 50% of the national PM2.5 and NOx source loads, with the residential, transportation and Industrial sectors being the primary contributors. WRF-Chem sensitivity results indicate elevated background PM2.5 concentrations in airshedems bordering neighboring countries, while controlling anthropogenic emissions within the critically important airshedem-2 alone could reduce PM2.5 concentrations by approximately 70% locally, 40% across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and 10% at the national scale. Thus, This study presents the multidimensional framework beyond traditional climatology and environ-geographical parameters to include socio-economic and cultural factors, making a conceptual advancement over existing approaches. Strategically prioritizing interventions according to airshedem concept offers a pathway to improvements in air quality, enhanced public health outcomes, and progress toward environmental sustainability.