The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced a strategic partnership with InMobi’s 1Weather, a leading global weather application. This collaboration aims to deliver national weather warnings and alerts directly to the lock screens of millions of Indians via Glance, a prominent lock screen platform on Android smartphones.
The Letter of Agreement (LoA) between IMD and InMobi is poised to bring critical weather information to approximately 235 million Indian smartphone users. This initiative will allow users to stay informed about important weather conditions instantly, without the need to unlock their devices. This seamless delivery method is expected to not only enhance preparedness but also facilitate swift action during weather-related emergencies.
The IMD utilizes sophisticated numerical weather prediction models to analyze and forecast weather conditions, continuously improving its predictive capabilities. The department can issue long-term and large-scale weather alerts for events such as cyclones and depressions 3 to 5 days in advance, enabling citizens to take necessary precautions.
Additionally, hyper-localized alerts will provide timely warnings for short-term events like heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, or hailstorms, offering crucial information for immediate safety. Through this partnership, these alerts will be disseminated directly to smartphone lock screens via 1Weather and Glance, ensuring wider reach and quicker communication of essential information.
Glance, an AI-driven platform, offers personalized content directly to the lock screens of Android smartphones, allowing users to access information without unlocking their devices or downloading multiple apps. This makes it a particularly suitable platform for delivering time-sensitive content like weather alerts. The platform’s ability to localize content and adapt alerts to user preferences across different regions further enhances its effectiveness in reaching a diverse population.
The initiative aligns with Glance’s “Glance for Good” program, which leverages the platform’s AI capabilities and extensive reach for social impact, including public safety and disaster preparedness.
These live weather updates will be available soon on the Glance lock screen and subsequently through the 1Weather app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The partnership is expected to encompass all major Android smartphone brands in India, making these alerts accessible to a vast user base.
Commenting on this, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD said:
IMD is continuously enhancing its capabilities to improve weather and climate services. As we celebrate the 150-year milestone, we are further committed to innovating to build a better climate future for India. With the use of smart AI and strategic partnerships such as InMobi and 1Weather, we are optimistic of achieving newer and quicker ways of sharing life-saving weather alerts.
Srikanth Subramanian, Vice President and General Manager of 1Weather, said:
At 1Weather, we believe that this first of its kind collaboration, between 1Weather and IMD, will alert users ahead of time on severe weather right on their Android lock screens, and help them prepare better, saving precious lives in the process. We truly believe in helping people own their day with actionable weather insights. After success in the USA, we are hoping to reshape the climate story in India too and make a larger difference to society at large.
Bikash Chowdhury, Chief Marketing Officer at InMobi and Glance, said:
Weather affects everyone, from daily commuters to farmers. Through Glance for Good, we’re democratizing access to critical weather data and ensuring it reaches those who need it most. Our mission is to use technology not just for information and experiences, but as a force for social good.