BHUBANESWAR, 4 July 2025: Odisha’s drive to modernise its agriculture sector took a decisive leap forward as the state’s Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Skymet Weather Services to implement the Weather Information Network Data System (WINDS) project.
The agreement, signed on July 3 in Bhubaneswar, was witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who praised the move as a major step in strengthening risk management under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
The WINDS project aims to transform agricultural practices by providing farmers, insurers, and disaster management officials with highly accurate, real-time weather data. The system will deploy Automatic Weather Stations at the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges at the Gram Panchayat level, creating a dense weather monitoring network across the state.
Funded through the PMFBY budget managed by the Cooperation Department, the initiative brings together the state’s Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department and the Revenue & Disaster Management Department (OSDMA) to ensure a coordinated rollout.
Deputy CM Singh Deo underlined the transformative potential of this partnership, calling it a “game-changer for Odisha’s farmers” that would allow them to plan crops more effectively, estimate risks with greater accuracy, and streamline insurance claim settlements. “By empowering our farmers with scientific data, we can promote multi-cropping and higher productivity while protecting their incomes against climate shocks,” he said.
The MoU was formally signed by Subham Saxena, Director of Agriculture & Food Production, and Jogesh Patil, CEO of Skymet Weather Services, in the presence of senior officials including Additional Secretary Dr. Ganeswar Jena and Dr. Rajesh Das.
Officials noted that the WINDS system would enhance transparency and efficiency in claim processing under PMFBY, which has often faced criticism for delays and disputes over compensation. With hyper-local weather data collected continuously, insurers can verify weather-triggered losses more reliably, supporting farmers with timely payouts.
Apart from benefiting insurance processes, the data from WINDS is expected to assist in emergency disaster planning and response. Authorities will have access to granular weather updates, strengthening their capacity to respond to floods, droughts, and cyclonic disturbances, which frequently disrupt livelihoods in Odisha’s rural districts.
The WINDS rollout is expected to cover every block in the state, with Automatic Rain Gauges also being installed at the Gram Panchayat level. The granular data will feed into a centralized platform, providing forecasts, alerts, and long-term weather analytics that farmers can use to select suitable crops, plan sowing windows, and manage irrigation.
Skymet CEO Jogesh Patil said the WINDS project would bring “the world’s most advanced weather technology to the grassroots of Odisha,” supporting the resilience of farmers in the face of intensifying climate challenges.
Agricultural experts believe that WINDS could become a model for other Indian states, showing how technology partnerships can directly address climate vulnerabilities. With Odisha’s history of frequent climate-related disruptions, the state is seen as a proving ground for large-scale climate resilience interventions.
Deputy CM Singh Deo expressed confidence that the collaboration would yield long-lasting benefits. “We are determined to safeguard our farmers with better information, and WINDS is a cornerstone in achieving that mission,” he said.
Beyond weather data, the project is also expected to encourage broader adoption of climate-smart practices. Officials say farmers who receive timely, hyper-local forecasts are more likely to diversify their crops, adopt sustainable soil management, and reduce dependency on single seasonal harvests — practices vital for long-term rural prosperity.
In the coming months, Odisha’s agriculture department and Skymet will begin the rollout of hardware installations and farmer awareness campaigns. Authorities plan to conduct training workshops to help farmers use the weather data effectively, ensuring that even smallholders in remote areas can benefit from the initiative.
With India facing unpredictable weather patterns and climate-linked risks to food security, projects like WINDS are emerging as critical pillars of future-ready agricultural policy. Odisha’s swift adoption of the scheme, experts say, signals a determined approach to protecting farmers’ incomes while modernising traditional farming practices.
