The summer season in India is in full bloom and for the first time in years, the country feels like it’s burning up in flames. People have stuck to cooping up inside their houses with air conditioners on all day long, and those outside eventually end up in hospitals.In this situation, Indian business tycoon Anand Mahindra has praised the growing rooftop farming movement in Jaipur. In a video he shared on X (formerly Twitter), he highlighted how residents of the city are adapting to increasingly harsh summers by transforming their rooftops into green spaces using simple farming systems.“We still don’t know enough about the full consequences of climate change,” Mahindra wrote. “But we do know this: intense heat waves in India are no longer exceptions. They’re becoming a way of life.”He added that homeowners are changing “THEIR” lives by creating “homes that are cooler, more sustainable and productive enough to grow their own food.” “That’s the kind of adaptive thinking we’ll increasingly need in the years ahead. Trailblazers,” he wrote.
How are Jaipur homes staying cooler naturally?
The idea gaining recognition was created by Living Green Organics, a startup based in Jaipur. In a city where summer temperatures often cross 40°C, rooftops absorb all the heat and leave the homes unbearable with increasing dependence on air conditioners.However, as per the founders of the startup, their rooftop farming systems offer a practical solution to that problem. The company provides portable rooftop gardening setups that are easy to install and maintain. These include leak-proof containers, drip irrigation and proper drainage. This allows families to grow their own vegetables and plants on their terrace without the cost and effort of major structural changes. The greenery helps reduce direct heat absorption on rooftops, which in turn keeps rooms inside noticeably cooler.
Jaipur homes are growing more sustainable
What began as a small sustainability experiment has now reportedly spread to more than 4,000 homes across the Indian cities. Many families are not only benefiting from the rooftops with vegetables and herbs but also experiencing lower indoor temperatures and reduced electricity usage amid peak summer months.The concept seems to have resonated with people, especially with Indian cities continuing to face longer and more intense heat waves.
Social media reactions
Mahindra’s post had many appreciating the natural initiative and tackling the reality that heatwaves are becoming harder to ignore.“Pratik didn’t fight the Indian summer he put it to work. One rooftop. Three returns: insulation, organic vegetables, and market income. Pure first-principles thinking. India has millions of such minds. They just need to be made visible. Thank you Anand Mahindra ji,” wrote a user.“A lot can be done to reduce this heat by way of unnecessary decorative lighting which nowadays has become the norm in many big cities where light poles are. Lit up with led or other lights which add to the heat,” added another.“The consequences of climate change are grave. Loss of species. Loss of food chain. Loss of seasons and certainty of climate. Loss of productivity. Loss of humans, birds and animals. Loss of greenery. Loss to economy. Loss to our only home, the blue planet. There is no planet B,” reminded one.
