HCI Climate Impact Tour 2026 – Part 2 : Mumbai (February 16–19)

Investment, Innovation… and the Unspoken Risk

Dr SOUMITRA DAS

Mumbai was electric. From high-level policy conversations to packed auditoriums during Mumbai Climate Week, the city pulsed with ambition. Discussions centered on mobilizing trillions of dollars for green growth, innovation capital, and climate entrepreneurship. The energy was unmistakable: India’s transition toward a sustainable economy is gathering momentum.

Yet beneath this optimism, another question lingered-one that often remains unspoken in global climate conversations:

Are we investing enough in managing extreme climate risks themselves?

Meeting with WRI India

During the visit, Dr. Soumitra Das and Mr. Rituraj Phukan of the Healthy Climate Initiative (HCI) met with Madhav Pai, CEO of World Resources Institute India. Their discussion focused on the concept of an India Climate Cooling Summit, envisioned as a platform to address the growing need for strategies that manage near-term climate risks alongside long-term decarbonization.

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The proposed summit would focus on urgent challenges including extreme heat, accelerating glacier melt, intensifying flood risks, and broader climate destabilization threats. Pai expressed support for the concept and interest in potential collaboration, underscoring the growing recognition that climate mitigation, adaptation, and risk management must be addressed together.

IIT Bombay – The Heat Trap

At the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Dr. Das delivered a seminar titled “The Heat Trap: Heat, Health & Migration in Rural India.” The presentation explored emerging research on wet-bulb temperature thresholds and their implications for human survivability, as well as the growing phenomenon of heat-driven rural distress migration.

Participants examined possible strategies for slowing such migration and mitigating the economic consequences of prolonged heat exposure. Several faculty members expressed interest in collaborating with HCI on further research and field initiatives. The discussion reinforced a critical realization: extreme heat is already reshaping India’s rural economy.

Mumbai Climate Week – Energy and Momentum

Much of the visit coincided with Mumbai Climate Week, where policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and climate leaders gathered to discuss pathways for India’s green transformation. Panels and networking events focused heavily on mobilizing capital toward renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility infrastructure, and sustainable urban development.

The scale of ambition was striking. The investment community appears increasingly ready to channel large sums into India’s green future.

And yet, amid the excitement, a critical conversation remained largely absent.

Mahabahu Climate Forum’s Rituraj Phukan ( extreme left), Assam Climate Change Management Society’s Rizwan Uz Zaman (near Phukan) are with Dr. Soumitra Das

The Missing Conversation

In the grandeur and optimism of Mumbai Climate Week, one question received far less attention than it deserved: what happens if extreme climate risks outpace the transition itself?

Mumbai faces growing flood vulnerability. Parts of India could periodically become unlivable due to extreme heat and humidity. Water stress is intensifying across many regions, while rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers carries serious downstream consequences.

If large parts of the country become heat-stressed, flood-prone, or water-scarce, the implications will extend far beyond humanitarian concerns. Infrastructure investments, supply chains, urban development, and economic productivity could all be undermined. Green growth, however ambitious, may rest on fragile foundations if the underlying climate risks remain unmanaged.

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What Mumbai Reinforced

The Mumbai leg of the tour highlighted several encouraging trends: capital is mobilizing, innovation is accelerating, and academic institutions are increasingly engaged in climate discussions.

However, it also revealed a critical gap.

India’s climate strategy cannot focus solely on decarbonization. It must also confront the near-term risks of a warming world and develop responsible approaches for cooling, risk reduction, and resilience at scale.

The proposed India Climate Cooling Summit aims to help bring that missing conversation to the center.

Dr. Soumitra Das is a visionary leader blending expertise from leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, the US Government, and global telecommunications standards groups. Trained as a Climate Reality Leader by former US Vice President Al Gore, he spearheads impactful initiatives like glacier preservation, large-scale rewilding, and the Climate Awareness for National Cooling Strategy. Dr. Das drives bold, innovative solutions to mitigate climate impacts and secure a sustainable future. He holds degrees from George Mason University and The Wharton School.

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