NABARD, IMD Sign MoU to Integrate Weather Data into DiCRA Platform for Farmers
Partnership will provide district and block-level weather forecasts, advisories and climate data through NABARD-supported digital platform
The 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 weather and climate-related information freely accessible to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers across India through a single digital platform.
MoU Signed in Presence of Senior Officials
The MoU was signed by Shri Sanjeev D. Rohilla, CGM, Department of Climate Action and Sustainability, NABARD, and Shri Bikram Singh, Scientist-G & Head, RMC Mumbai, India Meteorological Department, in the presence of Dr Shaji Krishnan V., Chairman, NABARD, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, and senior officials from both organisations.
Representatives from partner organisations also attended the signing ceremony.
Weather Data to be Available Through DiCRA
Under the agreement, IMD will provide a range of agro-meteorological data products through DiCRA, including:
- District and block-level weather forecasts
- Agrometeorological advisories
- In-situ weather observations
- Weather alerts
These datasets will be integrated into a dedicated Weather Portal within DiCRA, alongside geospatial information on soil moisture, vegetation health, crop conditions and climate vulnerability. The platform is intended to provide decision-ready insights at the district and block levels.
Focus on Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Rural Finance
Dr Shaji Krishnan V., Chairman, NABARD, said:
“Climate risk cannot be treated as a standalone issue; it has to be integrated into our development and financing decisions. Information is available - what is needed is its conversion into intelligence and then into timely action. By bringing together IMD’s scientific capabilities and NABARD’s rural institutional reach, this partnership can help forewarn both the farmer and the bank, strengthening rural livelihoods and climate-resilient finance.”
Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, stated:
“India has made major advances in weather forecasting, with accuracy improving by around 40 to 50 per cent over the last decade and forecasts now reaching down to the panchayat level. The next challenge is to ensure that this information reaches every farmer in time and in a form they can use. No single institution can achieve that alone - IMD and NABARD together can bridge the last mile through outreach, technology and capacity building.”
Open APIs to Support Wider Access
NABARD will use DiCRA’s open APIs and data infrastructure to distribute IMD’s agro-meteorological products in actionable formats through its network.
District-level advisories, seasonal risk alerts and weather-linked vulnerability assessments will be accessible to researchers, policymakers, credit officers, field staff and farmers through DiCRA’s web portal, mobile interface and API integrations.
The integration will also support NABARD’s weather portal, which is currently being developed within the DiCRA platform.