India is bracing for a scorching summer - Here's what we can learn from Singapore

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of an abnormally hot summer and intense heatwaves ahead, the urgency for cities to rethink how they manage urban heat has never been higher.

As temperatures soar, weather turns hotter and climate change accelerates, India must look beyond short-term relief and toward long-term, systemic solutions.

One country that has quietly mastered this art is Singapore. Between 1948 and 2016, Singapore’s average temperature rose by 0.25°C per decade—yet the city-state didn’t just adapt, it engineered its way out of the heat.

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Here’s how India can take a leaf out of Singapore’s urban cooling playbook.

Build Thermal Storage Tanks to Manage Demand

Singapore’s approach starts underground, quite literally. It uses thermal storage tanks that chill water during off-peak hours and store it for daytime use. This reduces the burden on the power grid during the hottest parts of the day—something Indian cities, already grappling with overloaded infrastructure, could benefit immensely from.

Replace Inefficient Cooling with Centralised Systems

Instead of hundreds of buildings running individual air conditioners, Singapore has built centralised cooling plants—as seen in the Marina Bay district. These plants cool water at scale and distribute it across neighborhoods. This not only saves energy but also reduces emissions and urban heat.

India’s expanding cities—from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad—could implement such systems in IT parks, institutional campuses, and new smart cities.

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Release the Heat Wisely with Cooling Towers

To make the system sustainable, Singapore uses cooling towers to efficiently release excess heat. This ensures that the system stays effective even during peak usage, something Indian cities desperately need during extended heatwaves.

But Cooling Alone Is Not Enough

Singapore’s biggest lesson isn’t just about technology. It’s about rethinking urban design holistically. Projects like Gardens by the Bay show how cooling can be paired with green infrastructure to build cities that are healthier, fairer, and more inclusive.

For India, this means integrating green cover, affordable access to cooling, and urban planning that doesn’t leave the vulnerable—slum dwellers, outdoor workers, and the elderly—out in the heat.

India Can’t Afford to Wait

With the IMD forecasting a brutal summer and cities already seeing temperature spikes, India must act fast. Cooling cities doesn’t just mean survival—it’s a chance to reimagine urban life for the better.

Singapore has shown the way. Now it's India's turn to turn up the innovation—and turn down the heat.

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