Dr. Rajesh Mali

37 years of distinguished service at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and across global development projects. He has played a pioneering role in modernizing India’s weather observation systems, developing indigenous technologies for aviation safety, and strengthening climate and disaster resilience initiatives worldwide.

Career Highlights
• Retired as Deputy Director General of Meteorology and Head of Instrument Division.
• Directed modernization of 2,000+ surface observatories, including Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs), hydrological and radiation networks, and aviation meteorological systems.
• Spearheaded the Atmospheric Observation Surface Network (AOSN) project under the 12th Five-Year Plan.
• Served as Co–Project Director for the Drishti Transmissometer, India’s indigenous visibility monitoring system for airports.
• Oversaw procurement, calibration, and quality management for national-scale meteorological networks.

International Assignments
• Designed technical specifications and oversaw AWS and hydrometeorological network deployment for flood forecasting and early warning.
• Served as Meteorological Expert, conducting stakeholder consultations, technical assessments, and procurement planning to strengthen national hydrometeorological networks.
• Consultant for AWS deployment and monitoring to support hydropower operations, water resource management, and community disaster resilience.

National Contributions (Post-Retirement)
• Audited 300+ AWS sites under a Public–Private Partnership network of 2,100 stations; developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for calibration, maintenance, and quality assurance, ensuring reliable data for weather-based crop insurance.
• Consultant for nationwide AWS deployment for an Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change Project, strengthening India’s climate data infrastructure.
• Chairman of PGD-21 Meteorological Instruments Committee; developed and implemented Indian Standards for AWS and observatory networks.

Areas of Expertise
• Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) & Rain Gauge Networks
• Hydrometeorological Instrumentation & Calibration
• Flood Forecasting & Early Warning Systems
• Aviation Meteorology & Airport Safety Technologies
• Climate Monitoring & Data Quality Management
• Development of National and International Standards