A heatwave means very different things depending on who you are. For some Indians, it may mean higher electricity bills and a few extra hours indoors. For others, it means working through 45-degree temperatures because missing a day's work isn't an option. In a post on X, Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath argued that rising temperatures are exposing one of India's deepest divides: the unequal ability to escape the heat.
The people most vulnerable to rising temperatures, he said, are those least equipped to protect themselves from them. “India has been consistently warming up. Decade after decade, temperatures have been rising, and this is a one-way journey unless humanity makes a dramatic course correction,” Kamath wrote.
India has been consistently warming up. Decade after decade, temperatures have been rising, and this is a one-way journey unless humanity makes a dramatic course correction.
— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) June 8, 2026
All the heatwave deaths that are in the news are the result of this relentless warming. You will see a…
Across media and public discourse, there is growing concern over the impact of heatwaves across India. While studies have attempted to estimate the human toll of extreme temperatures, Kamath noted that the country still lacks reliable data on heat-related deaths. What is clearer, he said, is who bears the greatest burden.
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The People Who Can't Stay Indoors
A large share of India's workforce remains employed in agriculture, construction, delivery services, gig work and other outdoor occupations. For these workers, avoiding peak daytime temperatures is often not an option. “For many Indians, staying indoors when temperatures rise is simply not a luxury they can afford,” Kamath said.
While India's electrification drive has significantly expanded access to power, access to cooling remains uneven. Air conditioners and even air coolers remain concentrated among higher-income households.
“This is the inequality of heat,” Kamath wrote.
People with higher incomes can afford air conditioning, work from home and avoid outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day. Lower-income households often have none of those options.
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Climate Risks and Economic Vulnerability
Kamath also highlighted the overlap between climate vulnerability and economic vulnerability. More than 40% of Indians continue to work in agriculture even as the sector's share of GDP has steadily declined. Many of the regions most exposed to heatwaves and climate shocks such as El Niño are also among India's poorer regions.
That makes rising temperatures more than a weather issue. It has implications for livelihoods, productivity, health outcomes and regional economic development.
While Kamath suggested practical measures such as planting native tree species including neem, jamun, amla and moringa, he acknowledged that individual efforts can only go so far. The larger challenge, he argued, requires coordinated action at national and global levels.
He added, “Climate change is not an Indian problem but a global problem."
Kamath pointed to the visible loss of urban green cover as one area where local action could help mitigate heat stress. But he also warned against viewing such efforts as a complete solution. “Rising temperatures are a serious challenge. They don't have easy explanations, and they definitely don't have easy solutions,” he said.
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