HIGHLIGHTS:
- The First Stakeholder Consultation Meeting of the Climate Science into Services for India Forum (CSSIF) was held at IITM, Pune, on 17 October 2026.
- The meeting focused on connecting climate science with practical services to support policy-relevant information and informed decision-making.
- Technical sessions covered weather and climate products, climate models, data, and the need for a Climate Services Information System (CSIS) for the nation.
- The sectoral consultation featured thematic groups addressing Health with a special focus on impact of climate extremes, Energy and Finance, Climate Projections and Service
- The thematic sessions provided a platform for brainstorming and interactive discussions on sector-specific climate information needs and applications.
IITM Pune; 17.10.2026: The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), organised the First Stakeholder Consultation Meeting of the Climate Science into Services for India Forum (CSSIF) on 17 October 2026 at its campus in Pune. This meet brought┬а together more than 150 participants from over 80 institutions across various states of the country which comprises of stakeholders from government ministries and departments, operational agencies, research and academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society and the private sector.
The consultation focused on the role of climate science in developing relevant climate services and strengthening the application of weather and climate information across different sectors.
The programme commenced with the welcoming and felicitation of dignitaries, followed by the welcome address by Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director, IITM, Prof. V. K. Dadhwal, Former Director, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), addressed the gathering as the Chief Guest. Dr. Suvarna Fadnavis, Project Director, Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR), IITM, presented an overview of the stakeholder consultation meeting.
The technical session featured an introductory talk by Dr. Rupa Kumar Kolli, Former Chief of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Climate Applications and Services Division, on the need for a Climate Services Information System for the nation. Shri Amardeep Raju, Scientist, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), delivered an invited talk on the need for policy-relevant climate change information. The session also covered weather and climate products at IITM-MoES and climate models, data and products, presented by Dr. Swapna Panickal, Senior Scientist at CCCR, IITM.
The sectoral consultation featured thematic breakout groups to encourage brainstorming and interactive discussions on the application of climate science to sector-specific challenges. Sectional groups on water resources and hydrology, on agriculture and food security, and on disaster management and risk reduction.With a special focus on climate extremes such as precipitation, heat and wildfires; energy and finance, including renewable energy transition, insurance and economic risk assessment; and climate projections and services, covering marine heatwaves, marine productivity, coastal vulnerability and frameworks for translating observations into services.
Through sector-wise thematic consultations, stakeholders highlighted their climate information requirements, operational challenges and expectations, while gaining greater insight into IITMтАЩs climate research, datasets and products and their potential translation into useful and actionable climate services. The key recommendations emerging from the consultation will help strengthen the interface between climate science, services, policy and societal needs.
The meeting marks the beginning of sustained engagement under CSSIF towards developing scientifically robust, user-oriented and sector-relevant climate information and services for India.
Participants represented a wide range of major national and state-level organisations, including the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), India Meteorological Department (IMD), Naval Headquarters, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), National Water Academy, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), National Institute of Virology (NIV), National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), and ICAR institutes.
Strong participation was also received from state-level organisations, including State Disaster Management Authorities, state Environment, Forest and Climate Change Departments, Pune Municipal Corporation, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Madhya Pradesh Climate Change Centre, Goa State Climate Change Cell, Assam Climate Change Management Society, Bihar Mausam Seva Kendra, and other state agencies from across the country.
The consultation also included representatives from leading NGOs and civil-society organisations such as The Nature Conservancy India, Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), BAIF Development Research Foundation, TERRE Policy Centre, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Development Support Centre, Naam Foundation, EarthSight Foundation, GRAAM and the Ecological Society, along with universities and research institutions including Savitribai Phule Pune University, Christian Medical College Vellore, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Krea University, and scientists from IITM.
The program is available on IITM YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/kOTL91NGmFg?feature=share
