New Delhi: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate IMD’s agro-meteorological data products into DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture), an open-source digital platform supported by UNDP and NABARD.
The initiative aims to make critical weather and climate information freely accessible to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers, helping them make better-informed decisions related to agriculture, rural finance and climate risks.
NABARD and IMD Join Hands to Strengthen Climate-Resilient Agriculture
The MoU was signed by Sanjeev D. Rohilla, Chief General Manager, Department of Climate Action and Sustainability, NABARD, and Bikram Singh, Scientist-G and Head, RMC Mumbai, IMD.
The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Dr Shaji Krishnan V., Chairman, NABARD, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, and senior officials from both organisations and partner institutions.
The collaboration brings together IMD’s weather and climate expertise with NABARD’s institutional reach across the rural and agricultural ecosystem.
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IMD Weather Data to Be Integrated into DiCRA
Under the agreement, IMD will provide a range of agro-meteorological products through DiCRA.
These will include:
- District- and block-level weather forecasts
- Agrometeorological advisories
- In-situ weather observations
- Weather alerts
- Seasonal risk information
- Weather-linked vulnerability assessments
The information will be integrated into a dedicated Weather Portal within DiCRA, complementing the platform’s existing geospatial datasets.
These datasets cover areas such as:
- Soil moisture
- Vegetation health
- Crop conditions
- Climate vulnerability
The integration is expected to help users access more decision-ready information at the district and block levels.
DiCRA to Provide Actionable Climate Information
NABARD will use DiCRA’s open APIs and data infrastructure to deliver IMD’s agrometeorological products in actionable formats.
The information will be made available through:
- DiCRA’s web portal
- Mobile interface
- API integrations
The platform will serve a wide range of users, including farmers, researchers, policymakers, credit officers and field staff.
By combining weather information with geospatial agricultural and climate data, DiCRA is expected to support more informed decisions on agricultural planning, risk management and rural credit.
NABARD Chairman Highlights Need to Convert Data into Action
NABARD Chairman Dr Shaji Krishnan V. said climate risk needs to be incorporated into development and financing decisions rather than being treated as a standalone issue.
He highlighted the importance of converting available information into intelligence and timely action, noting that the partnership can help provide early warnings to both farmers and financial institutions.
According to NABARD, the collaboration will combine IMD’s scientific capabilities with NABARD’s rural institutional reach to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods and financing.
IMD Highlights Last-Mile Weather Information for Farmers
Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, highlighted the improvement in India’s weather forecasting capabilities over the past decade.
He noted that forecasts have become increasingly accurate and are now reaching the panchayat level.
The next challenge, he said, is ensuring that weather information reaches farmers in a timely and usable form. The NABARD-IMD partnership is expected to help address this last-mile delivery challenge through technology, outreach and capacity building.
Partnership to Support Climate-Resilient Finance
The integration of weather and agricultural data into DiCRA is also expected to benefit the financial sector.
Credit officers and rural financial institutions can use climate and weather-linked information to better understand agricultural risks and support more informed financing decisions.
The initiative is therefore positioned to strengthen the link between climate intelligence, agricultural decision-making and rural finance.
About NABARD
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is a development finance institution focused on agriculture, rural development and strengthening rural financial institutions in India. It supports initiatives related to rural infrastructure, financial inclusion, sustainable development and climate-resilient agriculture.
About IMD
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is India’s national meteorological service responsible for weather forecasting, meteorological observations, climate services and weather-related advisories. Its data and forecasting services support agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure and other sectors.
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