TLDR: India is poised to become a global leader in leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for climate resilience and environmental monitoring. The nation is actively integrating AI with satellite data for real-time tracking of deforestation, predicting floods, and ensuring accountability for polluters. As co-chair of UN and G20 AI-environment task forces, India is focused on developing a just, transparent, and accessible framework to unlock AI’s full potential in climate action.
India is making significant strides in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its national climate policy, positioning itself as a potential leader in global climate resilience and environmental monitoring efforts. The country is actively exploring and implementing AI-powered solutions across various sectors to combat climate change and enhance environmental protection.
One key area of focus is the enhancement of emissions tracking. AI is being utilized to monitor pollution from factories, traffic, and agricultural practices in near real-time. This advanced monitoring ensures India’s carbon accounting remains accurate and aligned with its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Beyond emissions, AI is transforming climate resilience globally, with examples such as India’s AI flood forecasting in Tamil Nadu and fire detection systems in Maharashtra. These fire detection systems employ infrared technology for 24/7 monitoring, enabling rapid response to potential hazards.
India’s commitment extends to strengthening institutional capacity. Platforms like NITI Aayog, IndiaAI, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), and NEERI’s Sustainovate 2025 are serving as catalysts for mentorship and scalable innovation in this domain. The integration of AI into missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), particularly those focused on Himalayan ecosystems and sustainable agriculture, offers fertile ground for AI-powered scale-ups. Tools such as satellite imaging, predictive analytics, and remote sensing are providing sharper decision-making capabilities and real-time responsiveness.
In a significant development for the agricultural sector, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have jointly launched an AI-powered Agromet Advisory Service. This service provides real-time, personalized climate advisories to smallholder farmers, assisting them in making informed agricultural decisions amidst rising climate risks. The system, developed using AI and Machine Learning (ML), is being piloted in Maharashtra through ICAR’s Agro-Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs) with plans for nationwide and international scaling. Key features include AI & ML-based dynamic models for crop-weather analytics, an AI-powered WhatsApp bot for delivery in regional languages, and personalized insights based on crop cycle, soil, location, and socio-economic profiles. This initiative is expected to enhance the climate resilience of over 120 million small and marginal farmers and boost productivity by reducing climate-related uncertainties.
Furthermore, AI is proving to be an essential tool for monitoring broader environmental changes. Satellite-based AI systems are tracking deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and ocean heat absorption, facilitating timely interventions. In India’s forests, AI-powered drones are being deployed to identify illegal logging activities, bolstering conservation efforts. Predictive systems powered by AI are also crucial for alerting authorities to extreme weather events, enabling timely evacuations and infrastructure preparedness. For instance, AI models have been successfully used in India to predict cyclones, significantly reducing loss of life and property.
Looking ahead, India is championing South-South collaboration, aiming to operationalize PM Modi’s G20 satellite mission proposal. This initiative seeks to pool sensing, processing, and AI resources to create a shared digital public good for the Global South, democratizing access to cutting-edge climate technologies and fostering a more equitable and resilient future.
Challenges such as energy consumption by AI systems and ensuring equitable access to these technologies are being addressed. The emphasis is on building open-access AI data ecosystems, mandating climate impact disclosures, embedding community-driven indices into AI decision frameworks, and ensuring that marginalized groups are neither excluded nor further disadvantaged.
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Researchers at IIT Bhubaneswar are also contributing to smarter, more climate-resilient cities through the development of ‘urban digital twins.’ These digital models simulate various urban conditions, from air quality to flooding and heat waves, aiding city planners in making informed decisions to tackle pollution and future climate challenges.
