India is significantly upgrading its weather forecasting, atmospheric monitoring and climate resilience infrastructure under Mission Mausam, an ambitious initiative launched to transform India into a “Weather-ready and Climate-smart Nation.” The initiative gained major importance during the celebrations of the 150th Foundation Year of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in 2025.The modernisation drive focuses on:
The initiative reflects India’s growing emphasis on disaster preparedness, climate resilience, precision forecasting and indigenous technological capability.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) was established in 1875 after severe weather disasters demonstrated the need for a centralised meteorological authority.Major triggering events included:
By 2025, IMD completed 150 years of service, marking a major milestone in India’s scientific and technological advancement.
On the occasion of IMD’s 150th Foundation Day, the Prime Minister launched Mission Mausam.The initiative seeks to transform India into:
Mission Mausam focuses on strengthening:
The programme also aims to bring India’s meteorological infrastructure to global best standards.
The government is augmenting forecasting systems through:
| Year | Number of DWRs |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2023 | 39 |
Radar observation coverage increased by nearly 35% between 2014 and 2023.DWRs are important for:
| Infrastructure | 2014 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Rainfall Monitoring Stations | 3955 | 6095 |
| Upper Air Stations | 43 | 56 |
| High Wind Speed Recorders | 19 | 35 |
| Infrastructure | 2014 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) | 1350 | 1382 |
| DRMS Stations | 3955 | 5896 |
India’s forecasting system now provides multiple forecasting windows.
| Forecast Type | Duration |
|---|---|
| Long Range Forecast | Up to 30 days |
| Short Range Forecast | Around 3 days |
| Nowcast | Around 3 hours |
This layered forecasting structure enhances:
The SODAR system facility, designed and developed by CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI), Bhopal, was inaugurated at IMD Delhi on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day (26 September 2025).SODAR is an atmospheric remote sensing technology used for:
The system is important for:
The Spatially Aware Domain Adaptation Network (SpADANet) developed by IIT Bombay is an AI model used for:
Researchers at IIT Madras use Reliability Ensemble Averaging (REA) to improve:
The government is developing MausamGPT, a Generative Pre-trained Transformer-based AI chatbot for weather and climate-related applications.
The AIRAWAT Research Foundation of IIT Kanpur signed an MoU with IIT Delhi to develop AI-driven solutions for:
Researchers at IIT Kharagpur developed an AI-based model for detecting:
The Indian Land Data Assimilation System (ILDAS) funded by ISRO (2021–24) estimates:
BrahmaSATARK provides:
GBM-CLIMPACT is a climate-impact assessment toolbox for:
The Gram Panchayat Level Weather Forecasting (GPLWF) initiative was launched by IMD in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.The initiative provides:
Services are delivered through:
Launched on 15 January 2024, Mausamgram is an:
It supports:
The initiative reflects the vision:“Har Har Mausam, Har Ghar Mausam.”
IMD launched:
These systems enable citizens to provide weather-related observations.
IMD launched the integrated GIS-based mobile application MAUSAM, supporting weather dissemination in:
| App | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mausam | General weather forecasts and alerts |
| Meghdoot | Agro-meteorological advisories |
| Umang | Integrated citizen service platform |
The HRRR model supports:
The EWRF model is used for:
IMD successfully predicted several major cyclones including:
Due to improved warning systems, cyclone-related deaths declined dramatically from nearly 10,000 in 1999 to almost zero during 2020–2024.
IMD launched the indigenous Web-GIS based integrated Decision Support System called:
Inspired by:
| Component | Full Form |
|---|---|
| MICS | Meteorological Information Communication System |
| DIPS | Data Information Processing System |
| SIVS | Synthesized Integrated Visualization System |
| PWIS | Public Weather Information System |
| Technology | Year |
|---|---|
| Indigenous RADAR | 1958 |
| Satellite collaboration with ISRO | 1983 |
| Automatic Weather Stations | 2000 |
| Doppler Weather Radar | 2010 |
| Common Alerting Protocol | 2019 |
| Impact-Based Forecasting | 2019 |
| Dynamic Composite Risk Atlas | 2022 |
| Service | Year |
|---|---|
| Port Warnings | 1865 |
| Climate Services | 1908 |
| Aviation Meteorology | 1911 |
| Ozone Monitoring | 1928 |
| Agrometeorology | 1945 |
| Positional Astronomy | 1955 |
| Marine & Flood Meteorological Services | 1966 |
| Storm Surge Warning | 1977 |
| Antarctica Expedition | 1982 |
| Himalayan Mountain Weather Services | 1998 |
| Digitisation & Automation | 2006 |
| Coastal Inundation Services with INCOIS | 2013 |
| Air Quality Forecasting with IITM | 2018 |
| Impact-Based Forecasting | 2019 |
| Urban Meteorological Services | 2020 |
| GIS-Based Applications | 2020 |
The initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of:Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).India also achieved two of its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets ahead of schedule under the Paris Agreement framework.
The commemorative logo released during IMD’s 150th Foundation celebrations symbolises:
Important themes represented include:
The eGramSwaraj portal was launched on 24 April 2020 on National Panchayati Raj Day.The platform supports:
Gram Manchitra provides:
IMD received the:
during the:
| Institution | Details |
|---|---|
| IMD | Established in 1875 under Ministry of Earth Sciences |
| CSIR-AMPRI | Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, Bhopal |
| IIT Bombay | Developed SpADANet |
| IIT Madras | Reliability Ensemble Averaging research |
| IIT Kanpur | AIRAWAT Research Foundation |
| IIT Delhi | AI-based environmental collaboration |
| IIT Kharagpur | AI-based arsenic risk mapping |
| ISRO | Funding support for ILDAS |