Farmers to get weather updates on feature phones with IMD's upcoming AI service: Earth Sciences Secretary M. Ravichandra
A key focus of this initiative is to make the system accessible on both smartphones and basic feature phones, enabling even small farmers to get timely weather forecasts at the press of just two or three buttons, earth sciences secretary M. Ravichandran told Mint.
The initiative aims to benefit farmers by offering localized weather forecasts to help them decide the best time to sow crops. Travellers can also get advisories, improving planning and safety.
India has around 145 million farmers in total. The number of title holders or land-owning farmers is around 86 million, according to recent agricultural census data.
Ravichandran also revealed that the IMD plans to acquire two multidisciplinary oceanographic research vessels at a cost of ₹ 1,000 crore each. Additionally, a new Antarctic research station, 'Maitri-2,' will be built near the existing Maitri base, with a total project cost of ₹ 2,000 crore, including a ship with icebreaker by 2029.
Ravichandran emphasized that the goal is to deliver weather information that truly benefits people, especially in rural areas. 'Simply saying it may rain or may not rain, like in the city, is of little use,' he said.
He explained an early version called 'Monsoon GPT' has already been developed but needs enhancement to work on feature phones as well as smartphones. 'For example, a small farmer should be able to get weather forecasts by pressing just two or three buttons, even on a basic phone."
The system will use telecom towers to determine the caller's exact location. It will then provide a simple forecast in local language, both in text and voice. For instance, the message could say: 'Day 1 – no rain, Day 2 – no rain, Day 3 – light rain.'
Voice messages will aid those who cannot read. In 2024, the rural tele-density in India, which measures the number of telephone subscribers per 100 people, was 58.29%.
Travelers with smartphones can simply enter the date and city to receive weather predictions and advice on suitable clothing, Ravichandran added.
The first version of Mausam GPT will support five languages with plans to expand to 10 and, eventually, 25 languages.
On the ocean economy front, IMD is aiming to increase its contribution to India's national economy from 4% to 8%. This will involve expanded activities in fisheries, marine tourism, and resource extraction. The ministry of earth sciences is collaborating with other departments to realize this vision.
Regarding the new research vessels, Ravichandran said, 'Each vessel will be capable of carrying researchers up to six kilometres deep into the ocean to explore both living and non-living resources. Currently, we know only about 1% of the deep ocean floor.'
The vessels will support deep-sea scientific surveys and sampling as part of the ministry's deep ocean mission. Equipped with advanced laboratories and scientific equipment, these vessels will be truly multidisciplinary.
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