CSIR’s Foundation Day, 26th September 2025, the SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging) system facility, designed and developed by CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal, was inaugurated at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi. The inauguration was led by M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, and Thallada Bhaskar, Director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal.
Other dignitaries present included Mohd. Akram Khan, Chief Scientist, Energy and Environmental Solutions Division; Sandeep Singhai, Senior Principal Scientist & Head, Business Development Group; Kirti Soni, Senior Principal Scientist & Principal Investigator of the SODAR project, CSIR-AMPRI; and Manish Mohan Gore, Senior Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, Delhi. DG CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, N. Kalaiselvi, joined virtually and highlighted the initiative’s significance in strengthening the indigenisation of Indian technology for societal benefit.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CSIR-AMPRI and IMD to enhance collaborative research on climate and environmental studies, focusing on scientific and societal challenges related to weather, climate variability, forecasting, and disaster risk reduction. Documents were exchanged between Thallada Bhaskar, Director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, and Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD.
SODAR system developed by CSIR-AMPRI will provide additional high-resolution data for improved weather forecasting and climate analysis. The MoU facilitates sharing of SODAR system data across multiple locations for research, validation, and operational forecasting. Officials noted that this collaboration is expected to generate significant advancements in meteorology, climate science, and environmental studies, benefiting both the research community and the nation.
