Neonatal care, emergency surgeries, & vaccine storage depend on stable cooling
Equity gap: In India, AC ownership averages just 5% (2021): 13% in urban, 1% in rural; richest 10% own 72% of all ACs.
In contrast, 90% households in US & Japan have AC access
Energy challenge: GoI’s 2025 proposal—ACs to run at 20–28°C (default 24°C) → estimated saving: 20 billion units, ₹10,000 crore, 16 MT CO₂. But efficiency measures alone don’t address inequity
https://www.insightsonindia.com/2025/09/26/cooling-rights-in-a-sweltering-south/
