When the Hon’ble Prime Minister introduced Mission LiFE at COP-27, he did more than announce an environmental initiative — he reframed the moral compass of development. “Mission LiFE turns individual action into global climate impact,” he declared, reminding the world that sustainability is not born of regulation but of responsibility.
In India’s context, this philosophy could become the foundation of a new governance model-one that makes citizens, corporations, and communities equal stakeholders in climate action. Having worked across government, industry, and citizen-facing projects, we have seen firsthand that policy can set direction, but behaviour builds momentum.
LiFE 2.0 - Mainstreaming Sustainable Lifestyles
India’s next evolution must be LiFE 2.0: embedding sustainability into every facet of public and corporate life-from energy use and water management to mobility and waste.
Government ministries, PSUs, and enterprises can undertake institutional LiFE audits to assess their behavioural impact. Citizen-driven Smart City reforms already demonstrate how small shifts in awareness and accountability can deliver outsized results. LiFE 2.0 can now turn those pilots into a national standard.
Behavioural Economics for Energy Efficiency
To truly shape new habits, India must marry behavioural economics with digital infrastructure. Imagine Green Nudge Platforms integrated into the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)-rewarding households, commuters, and retailers for sustainable choices. Tiered electricity pricing, default renewable options, and gamified dashboards can help India export policy innovation to the Global South, transforming behavioural design into diplomatic strength.
For instance, a state electricity board could use a digital “Green Saver” dashboard that automatically compares a household’s monthly energy use with that of similar homes in the neighbourhood. Homes that maintain consumption below the local average could receive cashback on digital utility payments or credits redeemable for solar appliance purchases. Over time, this simple peer-comparison mechanism-proven successful in countries like the U.S. and Singapore-can subtly yet powerfully nudge citizens to adopt energy-efficient habits without imposing penalties or mandates.
Community Engagement - The Real Engine of LiFE
Real transformation begins not in conference rooms but in mohallas, villages, and campuses.
We propose the creation of Climate Community Clusters-local governance hubs linking district administrations, panchayats, youth organisations, and civil society.
By leveraging digital storytelling, local dashboards, and open data, India can democratise climate action, giving communities ownership over their sustainable futures.
Women and Youth - Frontline Climate Catalysts
India’s women and youth represent the social capital of Mission LiFE. Eighty million self-help group members can be repositioned as green entrepreneurs through renewable micro-enterprises and rural water governance.
Parallelly, LiFE Youth Fellows can form a leadership pipeline that connects innovation, entrepreneurship, and civic responsibility-aligned with NEP 2020 and Skill India. When women and youth lead, sustainability becomes scalable.
Public Communication and Education
Information alone cannot transform societies; inspiration does. Mission LiFE must make sustainability aspirational, not sacrificial. A National LiFE Awareness Grid linking academia, media, and ed-tech can amplify behavioural change through curriculum design, storytelling, and digital challenges. Sustainability should not feel like a compliance metric — it should feel like national pride.
From Awareness to Architecture
India’s long-term goals-Net Zero 2070, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Viksit Bharat 2047-rest on one foundation: behavioural transformation. Mission LiFE provides that blueprint by aligning policy, technology, and human behaviour into a single, measurable architecture.
Institutionalising LiFE across schools, workplaces, and public systems will make responsible consumption second nature, not an act of sacrifice but of self-respect. Behavioural change is not a constraint on growth — it is the catalyst of Viksit Bharat. If policy is the skeleton of transformation, people are its soul.
Tanmoy Chakrabarty is the Founder and Director of Chakrabarty Consulting Services Pvt Ltd, and Tanushree Chakrabarty is the Head of Strategy and Chief of Staff at CCSPL; views are personal
