R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, MAY 6
In a major leap for urban climate science, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Ramapuram, on Wednesday inaugurated Chennai’s first-ever Urban Testbed and observational facility under the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ flagship Mission Mausam initiative.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, operating under the 'Mission Mausam' initiative, has established a state-of-the-art Urban Testbed and Aerosol Observatory at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) in Ramapuram, Chennai.
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Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the facility marks a significant step in strengthening India’s weather intelligence ecosystem. Mission Mausam is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences to strengthen weather forecasting, climate services, and disaster preparedness across India.
- India’s Climate Mission Lands in Chennai: SRMIST launches the city’s first Urban Testbed under the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ flagship Mission Mausam initiative.
- Real-Time Urban Atmosphere Tracking Begins: High-resolution systems will monitor aerosols, clouds, rainfall, wind and thermodynamic shifts across Chennai.
- IITM-Backed Scientific Infrastructure: Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the facility strengthens forecasting, nowcasting and disaster preparedness.
- MoU & Research Push Unveiled: SRMIST and IITM sign agreement to boost collaborative research in weather and climate sciences.
- Leadership Calls It a Game-Changer: Experts highlight its role in improving kilometre-scale weather models and urban climate intelligence.
- ₹60 Crore Investment in Climate Future: Over 15 advanced instruments installed to deliver real-time atmospheric data to IMD and forecasting agencies.
The Urban Testbed provides high-resolution, real-time atmospheric data to improve nowcasting, forecasting accuracy, and early warning systems for urban weather events.
The newly launched system will continuously track aerosols, clouds, precipitation, atmospheric dynamics, wind patterns, temperature, humidity, and thermodynamic conditions across Chennai. The objective is to significantly enhance monsoon prediction, short-term nowcasting, and early warning systems for extreme weather events.
Mission Mausam aims to transform India into a “weather-ready and climate-smart nation” by strengthening climate services across sectors including agriculture, aviation, water resources, and energy.
The IITM, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has invested over ₹60 crore in developing the Urban Testbed and associated observatory infrastructure at SRMIST Ramapuram. Around 15 advanced instruments have been installed on the 8th floor of the Administrative Block to capture real-time atmospheric particulate and weather data. The collected data will be shared with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Regional Meteorological Centres (RMCs), and other national agencies to strengthen forecasting accuracy and climate services.
The Urban Testbed network designed by IITM integrates dense surface observations through automatic weather stations and volumetric profiling using radars and atmospheric profilers, enabling advanced analysis of severe weather mechanisms and atmospheric processes.
The inauguration was led by Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, in the presence of Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director, IITM Pune; Dr. R. Shivakumar, Chairman, SRMIST Ramapuram (Chennai & Trichy); Dr. Thara Prabhakaran, Project Director, IITM; and Dr. M. Sakthi Ganesh, Dean (E&T), SRMIST, along with senior academic and research officials.
The event also marked the launch of SRMIST’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences Research and Innovation, along with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between SRMIST and IITM to advance joint research and academic collaboration in weather and climate sciences.
Dr. R. Shivakumar, Chairman, SRMIST Ramapuram (Chennai & Trichy) said:
“We are proud to host the Chennai Urban Testbed and an urban aerosol observational facility at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Ramapuram, and we thank IITM and the Ministry of Earth Sciences for choosing SRMIST for this important national initiative. Our Ramapuram campus is strategically located within Chennai’s urban landscape to document urban aerosol properties.
The Urban Testbed will serve as a representative site, supporting urban weather services and strengthening nowcasting and forecasting, particularly kilometre-scale models. This partnership and the new facilities will significantly enhance research capabilities, foster academic collaboration, and advance understanding of weather and climate, enabling innovative, multidisciplinary applications that will benefit Chennai and beyond.”
Dr. M. Sakthi Ganesh, Dean (E&T), SRMIST added:
“Urban areas face increasing challenges from severe weather, with greater population exposure and impact across critical service sectors. Mission Mausam seeks to address these challenges by integrating observations, numerical models, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, along with social sciences, within a collaborative ecosystem. The Urban Testbed at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Ramapuram, will play a vital role by generating high-resolution, location-specific data on key meteorological parameters.
This will significantly improve nowcasting and forecasting, particularly in densely populated urban environments like Chennai, and support better preparedness for extreme weather events. The facilities will also offer valuable opportunities for our students and research scholars to undertake advanced research and academic projects.”
