To improve scientific understanding of air pollution in India’s non-attainment cities, CSTEP partnered with 12 leading Institutes of Repute under the National Knowledge Network to develop emission inventories for 76 cities across 16 states and one union territory in 2024. Known as EI 76, this open-source dataset is among the largest in India, offering 1 sq. km resolution data on PM10, PM2.5, NOx, and SO2 from different sources such as transport, residential use, industries, commercial cooking, and waste burning. The inventories estimate emissions for the base year 2019–20 and project future trends up to 2030, along with mitigation measures and their costs. EI 76 is designed to complement other inventories and enables researchers to model pollution dynamics, including from peri-urban and industrial areas that are often overlooked. It provides critical input for clean air action plans by helping cities identify key polluting sectors, understand reduction potential, and prioritise interventions such as regular servicing of public transport, tighter vehicle controls, and public participation. Several cities and research institutions are using the EI 76 dataset, accessible through a dedicated portal featuring city-specific visualisations and downloadable reports. Prior to this, the Forest, Ecology, and Environment Department and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) commissioned CSTEP in 2018 to develop an emission inventory for the city’s 60 km × 60 km air-shed. CSTEP’s inventory for Bengaluru was adopted by KSPCB and uploaded to PRANA, the Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities. CSTEP also developed emission inventories for six cities in Jharkhand for the base year 2019–20, independent of the EI 76 project.