IIT Bombay develops user friendly weather forecasting app ; signs MoU with IMD

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Climate change is an urgent challenge that needs significant strategic attention to develop solutions that are immediate, scalable, and cost-effective. 

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Given India’s ambitious target of reaching net zero by 2070, IIT Bombay’s goal is to contribute to the nation’s mission through its pathbreaking research. To that end, the Institute aims to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Climate Services and Solutions within the Interdisciplinary Program in Climate Studies (IDPCS) at IIT Bombay that will leverage the expertise of its students and faculty members to conduct solution-oriented research, that can help mitigate climate change. IDPCS at IIT Bombay was set up in 2012 and has completed its 10-year journey with major financial support from the Department of Science and Technology.

A recent example is IIT Bombay’s collaboration with India Meteorological Department (IMD) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, to develop climate solutions for the stakeholder at village, city and district level. Some of the important outcomes of this collaboration are expected to be:Sensors and Drone based Smart Monitoring SystemClimate-smart agriculture technology for water and food security Intelligent and automated early warning systems Climate and Health Smart power grid management Wind energy and heat wave forecasts. Apart from this, the partnership is also expected to yield: Climate forecast and information-based smart applications for different sectors such as agriculture, farming and irrigation, health, etc. using technologies such as AI and ML, etc.
Meteorological aviation, observational and instrumentation applications Climate change policy information, and human resource development Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences, India Meteorological Department, spoke about this collaboration at the 10-year anniversary celebration of IDPCS held on May 02, 2022 at the IIT Bombay campus, where he was the chief guest. 

“It is my great pleasure to be a part of the 10th year anniversary celebration of IDPCS,” he said, adding, “I congratulate the department for making this 10-year programme successful. IDPCS is a very good initiative by IIT Bombay as it is important for studies of climate science. Science itself is interdisciplinary as it involves mathematics, engineering solutions, and social sciences amongst other disciplines and these are required to understand the discipline of climate studies as well. Interdisciplinary academia has immense potential, and I look forward to the ministry working collaboratively with IIT Bombay.” 

Another special initiative that has brought IIT Bombay a step closer to its stated objective is the establishment of the first-ever Chair Professorship in climate studies. The Chair titled “Vinaya and Samir Kapoor Chair in Climate Studies” has been setup with a generous donation from IIT Bombay’s alumni Vinaya Kapoor (B. Tech., Chemical Engineering, 1992) and Mr. Samir Kapoor (B. Tech., Electrical Engineering, 1992), and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 31, 2022 for the same. This Chair is expected to greatly benefit the Centre for Climate Studies as well as the Interdisciplinary Programme in Climate Studies (IDPCS) at IIT Bombay by promoting increased participation of students and faculty in climate research. 

In addition, it is envisioned that the Chair will play a key role in enabling IIT Bombay’s increased participation in state, national and international bodies on climate change assessment and mitigation. (Left to right) Prof. Subimal Ghosh, Institute Chair Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay and Convener of IDPCS, IIT Bombay; Prof. Ravindra D. Gudi, Dean Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Bombay; Vinaya Kapoor, IIT Bombay alumnus (B. Tech., Chemical Engineering, 1992); Samir Kapoor, IIT Bombay alumnus (B. Tech., Electrical Engineering, 1992). 
Speaking of the Chair Professorship in particular, Vinaya Kapoor said, “Advancement in climate studies is one of the grand challenges of our time. To address this challenge, the new Chair will build upon a decade of leadership by IDPCS and help attract talented faculty and students.”

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Samir Kapoor said, “It is imperative that IDPCS and IIT Bombay lead the development of innovative climate solutions in collaboration with industry and government. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of IDPCS, we are delighted to be able to further the Institute’s mission”. 

Speaking of both the collaborations, Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay said, “It is crucial now more than ever for us to develop actionable and sustainable solutions that can combat the climate crisis. IIT Bombay’s mission is to be a thought-leader in Climate Studies and make a difference with its cutting-edge research and industry collaborations. Our partnership with the IMD as well as the establishment of the first ever Chair Professorship in Climate Studies will enable this and will be a big step forward in our endeavour to lead India’s fight against climate change. I am grateful to IMD as well as Ms. Vinaya and Mr. Samir Kapoor for joining hands with IIT Bombay, an ‘Institution of Eminence.’ These collaborations will contribute significantly to our global goal of ranking amongst the top 50 institutions in the world within the next decade.”