On the auspicious occasion of CSIR’s Foundation Day, 26 September 2025, the SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging) system facility, designed & developed by CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal, was inaugurated at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi by Honourable Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES),  Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department and Prof. Dr Thallada Bhaskar, Director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal. Dr Mohd Akram Khan, Chief Scientist & Energy and Environmental Solutions Division; Dr Sandeep Singhai, Senior Principal Scientist & Head, Business Development Group, Dr Kirti Soni, Senior Principal Scientist & Principal Investigator of the SODAR activity, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal and Dr Manish Mohan Gore, Senior Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, Delhi were also present on the occasion. 

Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, joined the event virtually and underscored this initiative a very significant in terms of strengthening the indigenisation of Indian technology for serving the society. 

Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India, considered this MoU between CSIR-AMPRI and IMD very promising. Dr M Mohapatra, DGM, IMD, remarked that the SODAR unit of AMPRI will add value and provide additional data for a better forecast of the weather.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between CSIR-AMPRI and IMD, and documents were exchanged between Prof. Dr Thallada Bhaskar, Director, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal and Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department.

The purpose of this MoU is to enhance collaborative research work between CSIR-AMPRI and IMD in climate and environmental studies with emphasis on scientific and societal challenges related to weather, climate variability, forecasting and disaster risk reduction. The MoU facilitates the sharing of SODAR system data across various locations for forecasting, validation, and research initiatives. This collaboration between CSIR-AMPRI and IMD is expected to generate significant advances in the field of meteorology, climate science, and environmental studies, benefiting both research communities and the nation as a whole.