Anand Mahindra is impressed by this Jaipur technique: Amid 40°C heatwaves, families are keeping homes cool without ACs while growing their own food

Anand Mahindra has praised a growing rooftop farming movement in Jaipur that is helping families keep their homes cooler while also growing their own food. Sharing a video on X, Mahindra highlighted how residents 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 changing the way they live are 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.Jaipur startup helping homes stay cooler naturallyThe idea gaining attention comes from Living Green Organics, a startup based in Jaipur.In a city where summer temperatures regularly cross 40°C, rooftops absorb huge amounts of heat, making homes unbearably warm and increasing dependence on air conditioners. The founders say their rooftop farming systems offer a practical solution to that problem.— anandmahindra (@anandmahindra) The company provides portable rooftop gardening setups that are easy to install and maintain. The systems include leak-proof containers, drip irrigation and proper drainage, allowing families to grow vegetables and plants on terraces without major structural changes.The greenery helps reduce direct heat absorption on rooftops, which in turn keeps rooms below noticeably cooler.More than 4,000 families reportedly adopt the ideaWhat began as a small sustainability experiment has now reportedly spread to more than 4,000 households across different Indian cities.Many families are not only using the rooftops to grow vegetables and herbs but are also seeing lower indoor temperatures and reduced electricity usage during peak summer months.The concept has resonated strongly online, especially as Indian cities continue to face longer and more intense heatwaves linked to climate change.Internet reaction: Climate change and urban livingMahindra’s post struck a chord because it touched on a growing reality in urban India: heatwaves are becoming harder to ignore.Instead of relying only on cooling appliances, the rooftop farming initiative focuses on adapting homes naturally through greenery and sustainable design. Supporters say the approach combines environmental benefits with practical everyday savings.As conversations around climate resilience grow louder, many social media users called the Jaipur initiative a simple but powerful example of how small lifestyle changes can make cities more liveable in the future.