India Hydrological and Meteorological Equipment Market

Historical and Future Outlook

Meteorological equipment is being employed widely across various research organizations as well as chemical manufacturing plants. The demand for such equipment has always been higher, as various chemicals are produced on distinct and precise parameters. Additionally, meteorological equipment is highly utilized by airports, gaining immense popularity in last few years.

Weather is an essential factor accountable for the proper functioning of all businesses. Companies are increasing their focus on predicting climatic conditions to minimize the risk of losses by taking actionable decisions, such as the aviation industry which use these devices to charter flight paths to save jet stream and avoid turbulence.

Consequently, the demand for hydrological and meteorological equipment is likely to rise significantly between 2020 and 2030. FMI expects the market to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period. 

Growing Scope in Disaster Management

India has immense climate diversity wherein nearly 80% of the annual precipitation is confined to a brief monsoon period. Even though the country experiences a seasonal rainfall of 1170 mm on average, complicated monsoon winds and diffused orientation of mountains induce scant rainfall in some regions, causing water scarcity.

On the other hand, other parts receive heavy rainfall which results in flooding. Annually, India experiences extensive devastation in the form of damages to crops, houses, and public utilities, and human lives. Consequently, government bodies such as the Central Water Resources Management Department are developing rural infrastructure to minimize losses.

Owing to this, there has been a rise in the demand for equipment, such as surface water velocity sensors, that measure flow in rivers during floods or periods of high concentrations of suspended sediments. Hence, the market is benefitting from disaster management.

How is Rising Demand from Hydropower Plants Driving Growth?

Hydropower plants are often regarded as man's response to nature's vagaries, to mitigate flood and drought by holding water and discharging it as per demand and supply. Several dams such as Hirakud dam, Bhakra dam, Ukai dam and  Nagarjunasagar have contributed enormously in lessening flood damage along the rivers.

Spurred by the rising construction of dams coupled with increasing water levels, the market for hydrological and meteorological equipment is growing notably. For instance, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the water levels in the reservoirs are at alarming levels in the state.

To keep losses at the minimum, the KSNDMC is practicing the Integrated Dam Management system, where all district authorities and gram panchayat members along with the reservoir level officials are asked to give alerts of the rising water levels. The KSNDMC has placed 6,800 rain gauges in the reservoirs for this.

How Big is the Opportunity in Defense Sector?

The India hydrological and meteorological equipment market is witnessing surging demand from the defense industry. The Indian government is consistently increasing defense budget which is supporting growth of the market. On February 1, 2020, the Parliament earmarked US$ 66.9 Bn for the Ministry of Defense, representing a 7% increase.

The presence of a large armed forces and troops that needs protection and future weather prediction to ensure survivability is one of the key factors behind the rise in demand for hydrological and meteorological equipment.

For instance, in October 2020, the Indian defense industry imported cold-weather equipment. This is chiefly for checking the survivability of those troops that are deployed in high-altitude areas where there is a lack of viable indigenous solutions.

Unmanned aerial vehicles’ (UAVs), aircrafts and helicopters operations need precise and timely weather information for efficient flight preparations, take-offs and landings. As they fly at low altitudes, small and medium-sized UAVs are directly affected by weather.

Since UAV are an imperative element for the defense system, accurate knowledge of take-off and landing weather conditions is critical. Besides, atmospheric conditions also affect the accuracy of artillery fire. Availability of precise meteorological information is a prerequisite for correct predicted fire.

What are the Key Challenges for Manufacturers?

Large scale industries are adopting climate forecasts on a higher scale. However, small and medium scale industries in India still do not calculate climatic risk while exercising business activities. This is one of the major factors that are projected to hinder the growth of the market.

The process of weather forecasting becomes complicated due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of these equipment. Also, the accurate integration and examination of a huge amount of data make the process more complex. Furthermore, this equipment can detect long scale weather patterns efficiently, but for short term, there is no proper way. These factors are likely to restrain the growth of the market.

Category-wise Insights

Why Multi-Parameter Water Quality Sonde Remains Lucrative?

Based on hydrological equipment type, multi-parameter water quality sonde is leading the market. They are used in various processes such as groundwater interaction, saltwater intrusion, reservoir, and lake monitoring, estuary monitoring, watershed and source water protection, beach monitoring, and stormwater runoff.

Besides, making the most of the opportunity, players are developing and launching cost effective and better-performance products. This is also benefitting the market. For instance, Xylem launched YSI 6820 V2-2, which is a cost-effective data sonde. Perfect for harsh and fouling environments, the V2 sondes is a certified generation of multi-parameter sondes from YSI.

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Similarly, T.R Product’s optical sensors are equipped with replaceable seals as well as an integrated wiper offering protection from impacts of biofouling, and a corrosion-resistant titanium wiper shaft.

Where is Demand for Hydrological and Meteorological Equipment Concentrated?

Demand for hydrological equipment is concentrated in national hydrological projects. These ongoing and upcoming projects are likely to augment the installation of hydrological equipment in India. For instance, the National Hydrology Project aims at enhancing the extent, quality, and approachability of water resource information.

Thus, generating demand for various equipment such as data loggers, rain gauge, wind speed and direction sensor. The project furthers aims at improving the decision support system for floods and strengthening the capacity of targeted water resources and management institutions in India.

Which is the Topselling Meteorological Equipment?

At present, wind speed and direction sensors are leading the market. However, FMI estimates the AT/RH sensor to emerge as lead by the end of 2030. These sensors are used to measure temperature in order to determine relative humidity.

As a result, they uncover a wide array of applications such as HVAC systems, printers and fax machines, weather stations, automobiles, food processing, refrigerators, ovens and dryers. Owing to this, this segment is expected to register notable growth with a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period.

Importance of Indian Meteorological Department

The Indian Meteorological Department is leading the market by meteorological equipment end users. It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India that is accountable for meteorological observations, weather forecasting, and seismology.

As it is a national-level agency, demand for meteorological equipment is highest from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The agency is implementing some of the major national projects. For instance, the Hydrology Project, a World Bank-aided and a 6-year period project is under implementation by IMD.

Apart from this, the research institutes laboratories (SASE, IISER and NOIT) segment is also projected to record a significant growth rate during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

As both big and small companies are converging towards predicting climatic change for better functioning of businesses, demand for hydrological and meteorological devices is growing consistently in India. As a result, more and more newcomers are marking their entry into the market making it more competitive.

Additionally, players are also focusing on the development of better-performance equipment. For instance, K.R Instruments developed Ultrasonic Flow Meter that uses HydroVision's proven acoustic profiling technology to measure the flow, velocity, and water level. The company manufactures high quality, cost-effective, innovative equipment for global clients.

Moreover, players are also concentrating on key market strategies such as mergers and acquisitions and collaborations to extend their presence globally. For instance, in 2015, Gill Instruments acquired Labcal, a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited calibration service company.

Some of the leading players operating in the hydrological and meteorological market include

• Geomax AG
• Hach Company
• Gill Instruments Limited
• SEBA Hydrometrie GmbH & Co. KG
• Vaisala Oyj
• In-Situ Inc.
• Virtual Hydromet
• K. R. Instruments
• Kaizen Imperial
• Aveli Global Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
• Info Electronics Systems India Pvt. Ltd.
• R.K. Engineering Corporation
• Encardio Rite
• Astra Microwave Products Limited
• Mechatronics Systems Pvt. Ltd.
• Swan Environmental Private Limited
• Obel Systems Private Limited

The list is only indicative – a full list of India hydrological and meteorological equipment market key players is available upon request

India Hydrological and Meteorological Equipment Market Report: Scope

Key Questions Answered by the Report

• How will the India hydrological and meteorological grow through 2030?

  According to FMI, the market is expected to rise at 5.8 % CAGR between 2020 and 2030, attributed to widespread applications across various academic and research institutes and end-use industries

• Who are the leading players in India hydrological and meteorological landscape?

  Some leading companies operating in the India hydrological and meteorological equipment market are Geomax AG, Hach Company, Gill Instruments Limited, SEBA Hydrometrie GmbH & Co. KG, Vaisala Oyj, In-Situ Inc., Virtual Hydromet, K. R. Instruments, Kaizen Imperial, Aveli Global Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and Info Electronics Systems India Pvt. Ltd. among others

• What are the key challenges faced by the India hydrological and meteorological equipment manufacturers?

  Large scale industries are adopting climate forecasts on a higher scale. However, small and medium scale industries in India still do not calculate climatic risk while exercising business activities. Furthermore, complexity of equipment and lack of accuracy for small scale weather predictions is hampering the growth of the market

• Which entity accounts for highest demand for hydrological and meteorological equipment in India?

  According to FMI, the Indian Meteorological Department is leading the market. It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India that is accountable for meteorological observations, weather forecasting, and seismology

Enquiry before Buying

• Is the India hydrological and meteorological research conducted by Future Market Insights?

  Yes, the India hydrological and meteorological report has been compiled by expert analysts of Future Market Insights through a combination of primary and secondary research. To know more about how the research was conducted, you can speak to the research analyst.

• What research methodology is followed by FMI?

  FMI follows a methodology that encompasses the demand side assessment of the market, and triangulates the same through a supply side analysis. This methodology is based on use of standard market structure, methods and definitions

• Who are the respondents for primary research?

  FMI speaks to stakeholders across the spectrum, including C-level executives, distributors, product manufacturers, industry experts. For a full list of primary respondents, please reach out to us

• What are the sources of secondary research?

  FMI conducts extensive secondary research through proprietary databases, paid databases, and information available in the public domain. We refer to industry associations, company press releases, annual reports, investor presentations, and research papers. More information about desk research is available upon request.

• Is a sample of this report available for evaluation?

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Key Segments

Hydrological Equipment Type

• Surface Water Velocity Sensors
• Current Meters
• Groundwater Level Logger
• Radar Water Level Sensors
• Compact Bubblers
• Pressure Level Sensors
• Multi-parameter Water Quality Sonde
• Contact Gauge
• Side Looking Dopplers
• Data Loggers

Hydrological Equipment End Users

• Central Water Resources Management Department
• Irrigation Department
• Agriculture
• Water Utility Companies
• Hydropower Plants
• National Hydrological Projects
• Research and Academia

Meteorological Equipment Type

• Rain Gauge
• Precipitation gauge Measurement
• Disdrometer (Parsivel- laserWeather sensor)
• Wind Speed and Direction Sensor
• Ceilometers
• AT/RH Sensor
• Snow Depth Sensors
• Snow Gauge
• Data Loggers

Meteorological Equipment End Users

• Indian Meteorological Department
• Space Research & Sciences (ISRO, NESAC)
• Environmental Engineering & Audit Agencies (NEERI, TERI, etc.)
• Marine & Costal Security
• Research Institutes Laboratories (SASE, IISER, NIOT)