The Government of India is expanding the Weather Information Network and Data System, or WINDS, to create a national network of Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges capable of producing long-term, hyperlocal weather data.
The information generated through the network is intended to support crop insurance, location-specific agricultural advisories, disaster preparedness and the climate-resilience requirements of different sectors.
Seven States and Union Territories—Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand—have adopted the WINDS initiative. A total of 16,843 locations have been approved for the installation of weather-monitoring equipment. Civil work has been completed at 1,188 sites, while 892 Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges have been installed.
Hyperlocal Data for Farmers
Automatic Weather Stations continuously measure parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and atmospheric pressure. Automatic Rain Gauges record rainfall at specific locations.
A denser network of such instruments can provide a clearer picture of local weather variations than broader regional observations. This is particularly important for agriculture, where rainfall and weather conditions may vary significantly between neighbouring villages or crop fields.
The resulting data can support crop planning, irrigation decisions, pest and disease advisories, crop-loss assessment and responses to floods, droughts and other extreme weather events.
YES-TECH Introduces Remote-Sensing-Based Yield Estimation
The Government is also expanding the use of technology under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana through the Yield Estimation System based on Technology, known as YES-TECH.
Introduced from the Kharif 2023 season, YES-TECH supports objective assessment of crop damage and agricultural losses by enabling a gradual transition towards remote-sensing-based yield estimation.
The system was introduced for paddy and wheat from Kharif 2023 and extended to soybean from Kharif 2024. A mandatory weightage of 30 per cent has been assigned to yield estimates generated through YES-TECH for these crops.
During 2025–26, YES-TECH was implemented across 344 districts in 12 states. Madhya Pradesh assigned 100 per cent weightage to technology-based yield estimation. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh assigned 50 per cent weightage, while Odisha and Karnataka each assigned 40 per cent.
The Government is conducting regular reviews with participating stakeholders to assess implementation and improve the effectiveness of the system.
Digital Platforms to Accelerate Insurance Claims
Several digital and financial measures have been introduced to improve the settlement of claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
The National Crop Insurance Portal has been developed as a central platform for farmer enrolment, premium subsidies, insured-farmer information, service delivery and the electronic transfer of insurance claims directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
The DigiClaim Module has been operational since Kharif 2022. It integrates the crop-insurance portal with the Public Financial Management System and the accounting systems of insurance companies, enabling the transparent tracking and processing of claims.
From Kharif 2024, a penalty of 12 per cent is automatically calculated and imposed through the portal when an insurance company fails to make payments within the prescribed period.
The Central Government’s share of the premium subsidy has also been separated from the state share. This allows farmers to receive the proportionate claim connected with the Centre’s contribution without waiting for the corresponding state payment.
From Kharif 2025, state governments are also liable to pay a 12 per cent penalty for delays in releasing their share of the premium subsidy. States participating in the scheme must open escrow accounts and deposit their premium contributions in advance, strengthening financial discipline and reducing delays.
Technology Improves Crop-Loss Assessment
Crop Cutting Experiment and yield information is being captured through the CCE-Agri mobile application and uploaded to the National Crop Insurance Portal. Insurance companies are permitted to observe Crop Cutting Experiments, while state land records are being integrated with the portal.
Remote-sensing-based yield estimation through YES-TECH is intended to supplement field-level assessments and provide a more consistent basis for calculating insured crop losses.
The Government has also introduced the Crop Loss Assessment App, or CLAP, to improve the assessment of losses caused by localised calamities and post-harvest events affecting individual farms and land parcels. Use of the application has been made mandatory for all States and Union Territories participating in the crop-insurance scheme.
The combined rollout of WINDS, YES-TECH, DigiClaim, CLAP and the National Crop Insurance Portal represents a wider transition towards technology-supported agricultural risk management. Hyperlocal weather observations, satellite-based yield estimates and integrated digital claim systems are expected to improve the quality of agricultural data and support more transparent and timely delivery of crop-insurance benefits.
The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ram Nath Thakur in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2026.
Source: PIB
You may also like
-
NSE to Launch India’s First Domestic Benchmark-Linked Natural Gas Futures
-
Indian Railways Tests AI-Based Stain Detection to Improve Linen Quality
-
India Launches ₹5,659-Crore Kapas Kanti Mission as Cotton Output Falls to 290.91 Lakh Bales
-
India’s Auto Components Sector Set for 10% Annual Growth Through FY30
-
India Creates Over 10.18 Crore Digital Farmer IDs to Streamline Agricultural Benefits
