Weather Risk Management Services (WRMS), a private weather forecaster based out of Delhi, is targeting a 10 fold increase in its subscriber base over a three to four year period.

Set up in 2004, WRMS operates in 15 States in India and in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique and the US.

Apart from weather forecasting, it also provides agro-advisory service on crop diseases, market-linkage, arranging for insurance and finance and also market linkage facilities in India. Revenues come on the basis of subscription models (for the services it offers) from farmers and insurance companies and banks; fixed payments; percentage basis; among others.

According to Sonu Agrawal, Managing Director, WRMS, the company caters to over 10 lakh farmers (one million).

“We intend to ramp up our presence across the various States and look at a 10 fold growth in subscriber base,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on Monsoon Outlook 2016 organised here in the city.

Some of the States that will be on the company’s radar for expansion include West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

WRMS has its own network of 2,000-odd micro weather stations (also called granular weather stations). Subscription rates for farmers vary between ₹500 per hectare of production and ₹3,000, depending on the type of service chosen.

Predictions

According to Kanti Prasad, climate scientist at WRMS, the onset of monsoon in the country is expected to take place around June 6 or June 7.

Monsoon rains are expected to commence over north-eastern States around June 10 and advance across West Bengal, Bihar, east UP and Himalayan belt between June 16 and 20.

The agency said the western side of the country may receive a little less than normal rainfall in June; while in the next few months there will be normal or excess rainfall throughout the country except in some pockets.

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