India’s rural economy, largely dependent on rainfed agriculture, is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. More frequent, intense heatwaves and unpredictable rains undermine farmers’ efforts to protect crops and sustain their families. In 2021, to support communities to cope with crises, ‘CRISP-M’ was launched: an accessible online tool that helps communities predict, prepare for and manage climate impacts. This case study collection illustrates a key learning from the pilot phase: for best impact with marginalised and rural communities, climate technology must be accompanied by inclusive community engagement.

These 12 case studies demonstrate how our ‘tech plus people’ approach is supporting bottom-up, village-level climate resilience planning that includes the most marginalised groups. Together, these examples offer emerging lessons and trends that can inform plans to scale up climate tech in India and beyond. They are arranged by area of impact: gender and intersectionality; marginalised and Indigenous groups; transparency and accountability; early warning and early action; supporting integrated planning (agriculture, forestry and skills development); and landscape-based planning for long-term drought proofing.