Adaptation & Resilience
Problem Overview: EWS sensors are mainly imported and not designed for hyperlocal climates of India.
Early Warning System (EWS) sensors for climate monitoring in India rely on a hybrid approach. High-end, specialized hardware like Doppler Weather Radars are predominantly imported, which are designed for temperate climates. When deployed in the extreme microclimates of India, they deteriorate rapidly. Imported Sensors are expensive, hence limiting the scope of deployment compared to the need we have given India’s high climatic hazard vulnerability.
Core Bottlenecks: Lack of granular climate-risk data, practical adaptation tools, and financing for retrofits or upgrading buildings ahead of shocks.
1. Foreign OEMs are locked & cannot be serviced in India
Proprietary software & hardware architecture are usually locked by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) limiting the scope for service & repair. Most components are not designed for Indian conditions and fail sooner than their potential lifespan.
2. Power & Connectivity Failure
Smart Sensors rely heavily on a stable, continuous power grid and an uninterrupted satellite service. Power fluctuates often in remote villages of India, even more so when there are severe weather conditions. Thus these EWS systems are non-functional when most needed.
3. India exports fewer Sensors than required due to High Import Costs, Creating Data Blind Spots
State Governments usually deploy few sensors, high end units scattered across a larger region than what is actually required. Without a dense data network, the overall prediction & warning capacity falls short.
4. Lack of a Robust Public-Private Manufacturing Ecosystem
to enable mass production & distribution at scale.
Existing Approaches and Technology Readiness
Imported EWS Sensors / Components
Performance drastically reduced or fails as it is unable to adapt in Indian microclimate
Where is the white-space for innovation?
As Imported sensors have limitations and are expensive, indigenous solutions are needs as per Indian ecosystems at hyperlocal level that can be cost effective as well. There is a need for innovation on following fronts:
Engineering and Science
Macroscopic sensor systems & Macro-hardware are mainly imported. Specialised sub-components such as high-end accelerometers, deep-water pressure chips, micro barometers are imported due to lack of semiconductors in India. Micro-radar networks are needed for hyperlocal tracking. Climate Hazards like Flash floods, Debris Flow, Erratic Monsoons and many more pose unique specific challenges combined with geophysical limitations to solve for.
How we identify climate innovation opportunities?
- Ministry of Earth Sciences (2025), Mission Mausam
- Assumptions for calculations: Mission Mausam Phase 2 budget (conservative) is $421Mn, 15% is the indigenous market
Abbreviations - EWS: Early Warning Systems; MHEWS:Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer HPC: High Performance Computing
Last Updated On: June 5, 2026
Economic Potential
- India, 202512.6Mn USD[1]
- India, 203063Mn USD[1]
Impact Potential
- Lives Impacted~300 Mn people (reduced vulnerability of lives, crops & infrastructure)
- Risk Index Score, India18/27
- Hazard
- Exposure
- Sensitivity
- Adaptive Capacity
- Vulnerability
| Low | Med | High |
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Livelihoods
Connectivity
p-ARL Score
7/12
Regulatory Outlook
Guideline
Guideline
Guideline
Spotlight for innovation in India
Research
ISRO: INSAT 3D/3DR satellite systems:atmospheric thermodynamics - observation cycles reduced to 15 mins. Thermal & Water Vapor System maps moisture a storm system is carrying.
C-DAC: C-flood systems- HPC driven, village-level 2D Hydrodynamic Inundation Mapping - 48 hour advanced forecasting with water depth estimation error under a tight 15–20 cm buffer.
ClimMaTech - Developed AI-based flood monitoring and warning systems with over 95.6% accuracy