The first part of project EXHALE was based upon an iterative process of co-creation of a low-smoke chulha with local communities in order to support adaption and sustained uptake. A qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into the cooking practices and challenges faced with the traditional stoves. Workshops were conducted where people were involved in creating an ideal stove, using thermocol blocks. Feedback was continuously used to optimize the design of the cookstove. Improved cookstoves were evaluated in a qualitative study in a slum called Siddhaarthanagar colony in Peenya, Bangalore.