As the climate crisis accelerates, India’s cities are on the frontline of one of its most immediate impacts: Extreme heat. With an estimated 590 million people expected to live in dense urban areas by 2030, Indian cities face a mounting heat crisis that threatens health, livelihoods, and basic urban infrastructure. While some cities like Ahmedabad and Bhubaneshwar have made strides by institutionalising Heat Action Plans (HAPs), these measures are mostly reactive and short-term. To truly protect diverse urban populations, cities must shift from incremental solutions to system-wide, transformational approaches.