In a collaborative commentary, Rajan Rawal and Jigna Desai examine the critical operational challenges confronting post-independence Indian Modernist architecture amidst accelerating urban climate change. Historically deployed as a spatial manifestation of a progressive, democratic national identity, the modern architectural movement heavily leveraged passive design strategies. However, contemporary urban heat island effects and atmospheric pollution have rendered passive strategies unviable, establishing mechanical climate control as an operational necessity. The authors contend that extending the lifecycle of these heritage structures demands a paradigm shift in conservation methodology. They advocate for a synchronised, interdisciplinary framework that integrates material science, environmental engineering, and architecture to implement active mechanical interventions while rigorously safeguarding the original structural and aesthetic integrity.