Environment & Sustainability

Inspired by the movie Avatar, environmentalist and clean air activist Jai Dhar Gupta turned 32 acres near Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park into a biosphere. With the help of expert Vijay Dhasmana, he revived the land, bringing back native plants and wildlife.

Blackouts no longer mean darkness for many Kerala families. Since 2017, startup Energy24by7 has made this possible, powering over 1,000 homes with smart solar that saves up to 50 percent on bills and keeps them running through outages.

From eco-art installations to stages made of scrap, this Bengaluru-based festival is reimagining music through sustainability.

Hyderabad-based Pavani Lolla understood that while organic waste was a problem, it could also be turned into an opportunity. In 2020, she came up with an innovative composter that not only solved the everyday dumping of organic waste but also aimed at making composting people’s daily routine.

A certified naturalist, Luv Shekhawat created Utsav Camp in Rajasthan’s Alwar, with guidance from his 90-year-old grandfather, a former forest officer. The jungle lodge, which blends sustainability with rustic charm, opens up to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, offering its guests a wildlife experience.

The Pali Hill Residents’s Association began with eight women in the 90s who dreamt of transforming their neighbourhood into a cleaner, greener, and safer home. The members recall how they achieved this award-winning transformation over two decades.

For 36 years, the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) has been Chennai’s frontline defence for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, battling habitat loss, pollution, and human threats to ensure their survival.

When Serbian national Lazar saw Gurugram’s streets littered with waste, he chose action over complaint. Today, he is leading a community-driven cleanliness movement that blends civic pride, sustainability, and global solidarity to transform how the city treats its spaces.

From reviving forests to reimagining cities, sustainability in India is being redefined by bold, everyday action. As part of Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, here are five changemakers leading the way.

From reviving millets in Maharashtra to restoring mangroves in Raigad and building climate-ready cities in Assam, the ClimateRISE Alliance unites 70 groups to fight climate change across India.