sustainable living

Living in a place with limited space, Manoj Ranjan found his passion for gardening constrained. His resolve led him to utilise the small patch outside his home – once a dumping ground for garbage – to turn it into a garden.

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.

After losing her mother-in-law, Surbhi Yadav transformed sorrow into sustainability—repurposing vintage bottles, lanterns, and fan parts into planters that now host over 300 plants on her terrace in Meerut.

Anirudha and Sucheta Ambekar, both IT professionals, turned their longing for rural life into reality. Their sustainable home, ‘Anant Farms’, near Pune, is built using stones and antique teakwood, emulating traditional architecture while incorporating modern sustainability practices, including rainwater harvesting and solar power.

These 8 lesser-known villages in India preserve rare traditions, from whistling names to barefoot rituals and eco-living.

Freedom lives in planting forests, protecting wildlife, educating girls, lighting villages, saving lives — meet 7 Indians shaping a stronger, kinder India.

From jasmine and dragon fruit to tomatoes and ash gourd, Mala Raghavan’s rooftop garden not only feeds her family but also fills her life with purpose and peace. Here’s how she did it and you can do it too!

Household waste piles up fast, but reducing it does not have to be overwhelming. This family-friendly guide shows how to swap disposables for sustainable options, shop smarter, and get kids involved in simple habits that cut waste and support a healthier planet.

When Delhi-based Pragati Chaswal left her successful advertising career, she did not expect to start an environmental education movement. Through her SowGood Foundation, she brings hands-on sustainability and farming education to both private and government schools across the region.

Only 230 people live in Pormawlai — but their efforts are making the clouded leopard’s return possible, one forest at a time.