Key Details
The FY2025–26 report shows India’s earth-system science architecture expanded across forecasting, ocean services, disaster preparedness, and deep-sea research during FY2025–26, with Mission Mausam, the Deep Ocean Mission, and the integrated PRITHVI framework emerging as the report’s central pillars.
Area | What Changed |
|---|---|
Weather Forecasting | Mission Mausam operationalised AI-enabled forecasting systems and achieved 85% accuracy in 24-hour heavy rainfall warnings, while expanding hyperlocal forecasting through Mausamgram. |
Integrated Earth-System Governance | Major programmes were consolidated under the PRITHVI umbrella scheme, linking weather, oceans, polar research, geosciences, outreach, and deep-ocean exploration. |
Deep Ocean Capability | Testing progressed on the Matsya-6000 manned submersible and other Deep Ocean Mission technologies aimed at scientific exploration and marine resource assessment. |
Ocean & Coastal Services | Expansion of fishery advisories, tsunami monitoring, and desalination systems strengthened marine livelihoods and coastal resilience. |
Polar & Climate Research | India completed a deep-water Arctic expedition and deployed advanced research platforms in Antarctica to strengthen climate observations. |
Scientific Output | MoES institutions produced 925 research papers and expanded international training partnerships across the Indian Ocean region. |
Summary
Building an Integrated Earth-System Science Framework
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Annual Report for FY2025–26 highlights India’s transition from operating separate weather, ocean, and geoscience programmes toward a more integrated earth-system science framework. Through the PRITHVI umbrella scheme, the ministry has brought together ocean services, polar and cryosphere research, geosciences, outreach, and deep-ocean exploration under a common institutional architecture designed to strengthen climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and scientific capability.
With an outlay of ₹3,388 crore, the report positions Earth-system intelligence as a critical component of national planning, linking scientific observations more directly to agriculture, fisheries, disaster management, water security, and coastal governance.
Improving Forecasting and Early Warning Capabilities
A major focus during the year was the operational expansion of Mission Mausam, launched to improve forecasting accuracy through advanced modelling, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning tools.
The ministry operationalised the Bharat Forecast System (BFS) and Mithuna Forecast System, enabling higher-resolution weather prediction and severe-weather nowcasting. According to the report, heavy-rainfall warnings issued 24 hours in advance achieved approximately 85 percent accuracy. To improve last-mile access, the Mausamgram platform was launched to provide village-level and PIN-code-level forecasts, while weather observation infrastructure was expanded through Doppler Weather Radars, Automatic Weather Stations, and dense urban monitoring networks.
Expanding Strategic Ocean and Polar Research Capabilities
The report also documents progress in areas of growing strategic importance. Under the Deep Ocean Mission, testing advanced on the indigenous Matsya-6000 manned submersible, while commissioning Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plants across the Lakshadweep islands to supply fresh drinking water. Off the coast, the deployment of the Hilsa Fishery Advisory Service (HiFA) uses machine learning to guide traditional fishing fleets safely.
India also strengthened its polar research footprint by completing its first deep-water Arctic oceanographic expedition and deploying advanced under-ice observation systems in Antarctica. Simultaneously, seismic and geoscience programmes continued work on earthquake-risk assessment and tsunami monitoring systems.
Connecting Science with Public Services
Beyond scientific research, the report emphasises the increasing use of Earth-system science for public service delivery. Hyperlocal weather forecasting, fisheries advisories, desalination systems in island territories, and disaster-warning infrastructure are increasingly being integrated into operational governance systems.
The ministry reported 925 research publications during the year while continuing capacity-building initiatives and international training programmes for countries across the Indian Ocean region, reinforcing India’s role as a regional provider of climate and ocean science expertise.
What is a "Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination" (LTTD) System?
A Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) system is an advanced, eco-friendly water purification technique that evaporates warm tropical surface seawater inside a low-pressure vacuum chamber, then condenses the resulting vapor using icy ocean water pumped up from depths of 600 meters to create clean, chemical-free drinking water. Because this method relies entirely on the natural temperature difference between warm surface waters and deep-sea layers, it operates without requiring high-power chemical filters or massive industrial electricity grids. In coastal and island public policy planning, deploying LTTD plants is a major priority because it provides a reliable, drought-proof source of fresh water for remote communities while avoiding the toxic, high-salinity brine waste common to traditional desalinators.
Policy Relevance
The notification of the MoES 2025–2026 Annual Report upgrades India’s climate adaptation policies, proving that integrating artificial intelligence with hyper-local village weather registries can protect rural livelihoods from extreme weather shocks.
Shielding Agricultural Incomes from Abrupt Hydro-Climate Disasters: Reaching an 85 percent precision metric for heavy rainfall alerts via the Mausamgram portal allows the Ministry of Agriculture to issue timely harvesting warnings, preventing severe post-harvest crop losses for millions of farmers.
Municipal Resilience Planning against Severe Urban Heatwaves: Collaborating with the NDMA to build high-density urban weather arrays and Heat Action Plans enables city corporations to deploy cooling centers and adjust power grids before thermal emergencies impact public health.
Sovereign Resource Rights across Strategic Deep-Sea Minerals: Testing the Matsya-6000 submersible under the Deep Ocean Mission positions India to access valuable polymetallic nodules within international waters, reducing reliance on foreign imports for critical green-energy materials.
Income Security of Coastal Fishing Fleets via Automated Forecasts: Deploying the Hilsa Fishery Advisory Service (HiFA) equips traditional fishers with real-time, machine-learning-based maps of prime fishing zones, reducing fuel consumption and increasing daily catch yields.
Minimising Budgetary Losses through Cost-Effective 3D-Printed Infrastructure: Using indigenous 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations allows state planning boards to expand weather monitoring networks rapidly without inflating the public procurement budget.
Follow the Full Report Here: Ministry of Earth Sciences: Official Comprehensive Annual Report on Scientific and Technological Progress (2025-2026 Edition)