Now we have taken great initiative and the world is praising Bharat. Gati Shakti and Udan for both IMD has played a pivotal role. Safe aviation is not possible at all without IMD being 24 X 7 alert. Even during the G20 summit the success of which has been recognised and acknowledged by the world, to an extent that it will be difficult to reach the benchmark put up by Bharat in organising it, IMD had a great role to play.
During COVID, the contribution was no less. I had the occasion to interact with the chairman of ISRO, and ISRO has made us proud. Chandrayan-3 landed on the moon at the South Pole, a place to which no country has gone on the surface of the moon; we have reached for history, Tiranga and Shiv Shakti point.
He told me that we have also contributed hugely to the growth of IMD because we have a wholesome synergetic approach with IMD. We are working together; we give them inputs, and we are tailoring our product to their requirements. This has made India’s IMD one of the front-line meteorological departments in the world. This is not a small feat.
But the time has now come where our mindset will have to be pro-disruptive technologies. We have to live with them and harness these technologies for larger benefit. IMD has great potential in utilizing technologies like machine learning and crowd-sourced data to refine its forecast and predict extreme weather events with greater precision.
I am looking forward to the day when IMD can predict the weather conditions of the two houses of Parliament for the presiding officers. I am pretty sure you will find a way out! Two of my distinguished predecessors in West Bengal raised concerns about earthquakes, and I assured them that days are not far. IMD, in a synergistic instance with other scientific bodies and academia, will do it because it helps us prepare in advance. If I go to the extent of saying IMD can predict the two houses of Parliament, politicians will be tempted. If the IMD can predict the weather, perhaps it can predict elections too.
When it comes to renewable energy and non-conventional energy, IMD plays a critical role in helping businessmen plan their investments, to know the optimal utilization of the natural resource they bring to exploit. What I mean to say is there is no walk of life in which IMD has no role to play. It has a role to play for everyone.
I speak about my experience in West Bengal. Very recently, we had Cyclone Biparjoy; it has joy in it as Kolkata is the city of joy. But Biparjoy was malicious. Thanks to IMD inputs, thanks to our preparedness, thanks to our disaster management schemes, and coordination among various agencies, that a large part of IMD’s accurate warning resulted in ZERO fatalities.
The impacts are beyond our borders. Our neighbours in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea rely on IMD’s expertise, as evidenced by the praise Bangladesh and Myanmar received for their minimum casualties during Cyclone Mocha, a testament to IMD’s foresight.
Let me slightly digress. It is relevant. Our technological progress is also an important mechanism of soft diplomacy because relationships are defined by what a country has to gain from another in the economy. Now it has graduated to a higher level; a gain in technology is also important, and we are part of it.
I appreciate the reminder. Our UPI model is indeed a facet of soft diplomacy. UPI has been adopted by several leading countries, including Singapore. Our ISRO has generated significant diplomatic soft power for Bharat because ISRO has launched satellites for several countries, including the USA, UK, and Singapore. Our technological rise is the most impactful mechanism to give a cutting edge to our diplomacy, and that is happening thanks to people like you and others in the organization.
Celebrating the 150th year is a matter of satisfaction, but it also brings a great challenge as the climate is changing every moment. The threat of climate change looms large, and while global efforts are in place, the results are not matching. Calamitous events underscore the urgency of innovative solutions. The IMD is at the forefront of disaster reduction, harnessing technology through public-private partnerships and research collaborations to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.
Now it’s time for us, and fortunately, Bharat is in the front of the league of nations. The number is not in double digits for those engaged in harnessing disruptive technologies. Continuous investment in cutting-edge technology like Quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data analytics is crucial to enhance forecast accuracy and delve deeper into the complexity of the science. Gone are the days when you could make an impact just by scratching the surface; you will have to dive deep into it these days.
It is a reflection of leadership farsightedness in Bharat that has undertaken initiatives more than other countries. The Cabinet has cleared Rs 6000 Crore for the National Quantum Mission to boost research in Quantum Technology. The mission aims to seed, nurture, and scale up scientific and industrial R&D, creating a vibrant and innovative ecosystem in quantum technology.
I appreciate your emphasis on the importance of research and development. From this platform, I seek your assistance so we can unitedly appeal to our corporate world to subscribe to the concept of research and development. If you look around the world, in developed countries, research and development have been initiated by the corporate world. They have supported institutions like IMD, academia, with fiscal power. I call upon the corporate leaders to handhold institutions like IMD to promote R&D, especially concerning disruptive technologies and their use in disaster risk reduction and management technologies.
The economic dimension of what you are doing is significant. Without timely input from IMD, there would be a loss of lives and massive destruction of property. While some are unavoidable, you can contain it. Loss of livestock, boats, and ships on the high seas are virtually minimized to zero due to timely input and the systematic working of adequate warnings.
It is soothing to note that integrating technology into our daily life has become part of our culture. Cutting-edge technology prowess has been garnered by the government in every walk of life. This has destroyed corruption, ensuring that relief reaches the person directly without the intervention of any agency, achieving a 100% success rate, and this is also commendable to the aid of IMD.
Indeed, from AI-powered map creation to targeted weather alerts, and from blockchain-secured data sharing to Twitter’s rapid information flow, a potent mix of advanced and established technologies is reshaping disaster response. India’s massive digitization and deep technological penetration have enabled and empowered people. Resultantly, crowdsourcing, social media platforms, and digital fundraising empower the public, while SMS and satellite technology remain vital. I can tell you, machine learning has to be massively used by IMD. When conditions change very fast, the inputs have to be analyzed. The data comes in several mechanisms; virtually, it’s a lot that technology has to be employed.
The IMD must remain at the forefront of adopting and integrating such innovations to solidify its position as a global leader, which it is bound to be; it is only a matter of time.
Our Bharat has proudly emerged as a regional leader in weather and climate services, sharing its expertise and technological advancements with South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern nations. I have had been occasion to be at Phnom Penh as Vice-President ASEAN countries look up to Bharat for such kind of expertise in inputs.
Recognizing the interconnectedness of weather patterns and shared vulnerabilities to climate change, India has forged partnerships and collaborations, extending its support meaningfully, wholesomely to neighbouring countries.
IMD’s contribution to global safety and economic development through its role as Regional and Global Centres for weather and climate forecasting is commendable and well recognised by your peers in developed parts of the world. Look at the trade volume on the high seas; your role is very critical and it is being used massively.
By extending our weather and climate services to our neighbours and other countries, we not only strengthen regional resilience but also reinforce India’s commitment of being a responsible global player, truly reflecting essence of our age old ethos “VasudhaivaKutumbakam“.
Friends, as we move forward, strengthening our capabilities is imperative. The IMD must continue to enhance its observational and forecasting systems, collaborate with international partners, and contribute to global efforts in understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
To be contemporaneously updated and using current technology is essential. Gone are the days when we looked up to the West to provide us with technology; now, India is leading the direction. Efforts are already underway, and IMD has a crucial role to play in embracing and utilizing cutting-edge technology for the benefit of our nation.
Let us stand together, committed to supporting the IMD in its mission. I call upon all sister organizations and people at large. By investing in research, technology, and international collaboration, we can ensure that the IMD continues to evolve and meet the challenges of the future. Together, we can harness the power of meteorology for the greater good of our nation, its people, and the world at large.
Friends, we have come a long way, but we also have to remember we have to go a long way. We have to travel that path not by following someone’s technology but by being technological leaders. We have to be prepared because the dynamics of climate change are varying to an extent that even disruptive technology may fall short of it. All of us, therefore, to save the planet, have to act in tandem and togetherness.
I have no doubt Bharat, home to 1/6 of humanity and possessing the most brilliant human resource in the world, will, with commitment and direction, lead the world. I may not be around then, but I am sure my wish will fructify. Bharat in 2047 will be the world’s most developed nation, leading the world for harmony, peace, and stability.
