Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday launched the Bharat Forecast System — one of the world’s first indigenously developed high-resolution weather forecast models — at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the Bharat Forecast System marks a significant technological milestone, enhancing India’s weather prediction resolution from 12 km to 6 km. With this, India can now provide more accurate, village-level weather forecasts, bolstering preparedness across sectors including agriculture, disaster management, and transport.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the system is a major step forward under the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives. He added that as India rises to become the fourth largest economy in the world, precision in weather forecasting will support economic growth by reducing potential losses and improving outcomes, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors.
“This indigenous breakthrough positions India among the global leaders in weather prediction,” said the Minister. “It is a proud testament to the country’s growing self-reliance in science and technology.”
A unique aspect of the Bharat Forecast System is that it is being led by four women scientists, in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of empowering ‘Nari Shakti’ in science. “Our Science Ministries are no longer empowering women — we are being empowered by them,” Dr. Singh said.
The Bharat Forecast System is based on the advanced ‘Triangular Cubic Octahedral Grid model’, which enables real-time modelling. It has demonstrated a 30% improvement in forecasting extreme rainfall events and a 64% enhancement in predictions within core monsoon zones.
Dr. Singh highlighted that the development of this system is entirely indigenous — from conception to execution — and that it will also benefit other tropical regions across the globe, which face complex and variable weather patterns.
Praising the collaborative effort among IITM, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), ISRO, and other institutions, the Minister described it as a “Whole of Science” and “Whole of Government” approach, underscoring India’s integrated scientific development strategy.
He also acknowledged the significant advancements made by the IMD in recent years, including the ongoing implementation of Mission Mausam, with a ₹2000 crore allocation to upgrade the country’s climate forecasting infrastructure.