Across many Indian cities and large rural regions, ambient air pollution (PM2.5, PM10, NOx, SOx) and seasonal crop-burning / dust / vehicle emissions produce unsafe air for months of the year. This causes chronic respiratory illnesses, worsens heart disease, reduces school attendance and worker productivity, and disproportionately harms children, older adults and outdoor workers. Tackling this demands cross-sector coordination — transport, industry, agriculture, municipal waste and household energy — but institutional fragmentation and weak monitoring hamper effective action.