Mission Mausam: India’s ₹2,000 Crore Initiative to Enhance Weather Forecasting and Climate Resilience

The Government of India has launched Mission Mausam, a ₹2,000 crore project spanning 2024 to 2026, aimed at significantly improving the country’s weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster management capabilities. This mission marks a crucial step towards making India a “weather-ready and climate-smart” nation by employing state-of-the-art technologies for better prediction and response to extreme weather events.

Mission Mausam is led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and primarily implemented by three key institutions: the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). These bodies will be supported by other entities such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services and the National Institute of Ocean Technology to expand research and operational capacities in atmospheric sciences.

The initiative includes the deployment of advanced technologies such as next-generation radars, satellites equipped with sophisticated sensors, and high-performance supercomputers. Artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques will be integrated to enhance weather modelling and provide high-resolution, site-specific forecasts. A focal aspect of the project is improving nowcasting—the prediction of weather conditions in the short term—and extending forecast precision to the panchayat (village) level with lead times of 10 to 15 days.

Besides forecast improvements, Mission Mausam will develop weather management technologies aimed at mitigating specific phenomena like fog, hailstorms, rainfall moderation, and lightning strikes. A major scientific advancement under the mission is the establishment of a cloud chamber at IITM Pune, intended for controlled studies of cloud physics to better understand and influence weather systems.

The project’s financial plan allocates ₹258 crore for the fiscal year 2024–25 and ₹1,742 crore for 2025–26, distributing funds to augment observation networks including Doppler radars, wind profilers, radiometers, and atmospheric monitoring stations. This expanded infrastructure will address challenges in tropical weather prediction, where complex atmospheric processes and sparse data currently limit forecast accuracy. Efforts will also focus on assessing the impact of climate change on weather variability across India’s diverse geographic zones.

Mission Mausam's benefits are expected across multiple sectors such as agriculture, disaster response, aviation, defence, health, tourism, and infrastructure development. The project aims to reduce weather-related losses by providing timely, precise weather alerts, supporting data-driven decisions at all governance levels. Improved air quality forecasts for metropolitan areas are also part of the mission, helping tackle urban pollution management.

The mission will be implemented in two phases over five years, starting with infrastructure and capability expansion through 2026, followed by deeper enhancements in satellite and aerial observation technologies in subsequent years. It represents India’s commitment to addressing increasing climate unpredictability and extreme weather risks, aligned with global efforts to combat climate change and enhance resilience.

Overall, Mission Mausam is set to transform India’s meteorological services through a comprehensive blend of advanced technology, research, and capacity building, further solidifying the country’s position as a leader in weather and climate science.