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Days after the Lancet Countdown report indicated a loss of $373 million in labor capacity for India due to heat stress, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai became part of a global coalition of 33 cities aimed at combating extreme heat through the Cool Cities Accelerator programme announced at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This initiative will provide a framework for cities to implement both immediate and long-term actions, including early warning systems, improved building standards, and increased tree cover, to mitigate extreme heat conditions. C40 Cities Executive Director Mark Watts emphasized the urgency of addressing this growing issue, noting a 54% rise in days with temperatures above 35°C in major capitals over the past two decades, and highlighted the importance of collective climate leadership in tackling this silent killer.