Air-Ink is a brand of ink manufactured from captured air pollution. It is produced by Graviky Labs, a company that originated as a research spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab and is associated with operations in Bengaluru, India. The product converts soot and particulate matter from vehicular exhaust and diesel generators into pigment for inks and paints used by artists, designers and printmakers.
| Product | Air-Ink |
|---|---|
| Type | Ink made from recovered air pollutants |
| Manufacturer | Graviky Labs |
| Origin | MIT Media Lab research; commercial development based in Bengaluru, India |
| Founder | Anirudh Sharma (co-founder of Graviky Labs) |
| Raw material | Particulate matter (soot) captured from exhaust emissions |
| Capture device | Kaalink, a retrofittable exhaust filter developed by Graviky Labs |
The concept behind Air-Ink emerged from research by Anirudh Sharma, who explored the idea of repurposing carbon soot — a major component of urban air pollution — as a usable pigment. The underlying technology was prototyped at the MIT Media Lab before being developed into a commercial product through Graviky Labs.
Carbon-rich particulate matter is a known component of vehicular and industrial exhaust and a contributor to poor ambient air quality in many Indian cities. By trapping this soot before it enters the atmosphere and refining it into a stable pigment, Air-Ink positions waste carbon as an industrial input rather than an environmental burden.
The process involves two main stages:
Air-Ink has been produced in formats including marker pens, screen-printing inks and oil-based artist paints.
Air-Ink has been used by visual artists, illustrators and street artists for murals and gallery works, as well as by brands for limited-edition packaging and printed campaigns. The product is often associated with awareness initiatives that link artistic output directly to the volume of polluted air diverted in its making.
Air-Ink is frequently cited as an early commercial example of carbon upcycling, where pollutants are converted into consumer goods. It has been featured in design and sustainability discussions as a case study in circular materials, and it highlights India's role as a site of clean-technology innovation addressing urban air quality.