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India Launches Climate Stack Challenge for Rural Resilience
6 Mar
Summary
- Challenge aims to unify fragmented climate data for rural India.
- Innovators sought to develop near-term climate hazard forecasting.
- Top solutions to receive cash awards and potential pilot funding.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), in collaboration with the Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, has initiated the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge. This national effort aims to bolster India's climate resilience by constructing the foundational layers of a National Climate Stack tailored for rural India.
Intensifying climate risks, including heatwaves and floods, are significantly impacting Indian agriculture and rural livelihoods. Despite improvements in climate data availability, hazard forecasting remains fragmented and siloed, necessitating forward-looking and integrated climate intelligence. This challenge seeks to address these gaps by mobilizing India's innovation ecosystem.
The challenge, open from March 6, 2026, invites innovators to develop near-term climate-hazard forecasting models and practical dashboards. Submissions will be evaluated based on scientific rigor, practical relevance, and scalability. The top three solutions will be awarded cash prizes of ₹15 lakh, ₹10 lakh, and ₹5 lakh, with potential opportunities for pilot projects.
Anchored in DiCRA, NABARD's climate data platform, the initiative aims to evolve it into a digital public infrastructure. This will support interoperable, forecasting-enabled climate intelligence, aligning with the Prime Minister's vision of using technology for a resilient rural India.
