The well-known food delivery firm Zomato has launched its latest project, the Weather Union, in an innovative move. This ground-breaking platform, a real-time weather monitoring system crowd-supported weather by the public, represents a major development in India's meteorological infrastructure. With aspirations for quick growth, Weather Union is presently present in 45 Indian cities.

"Zomato Introduces Crowd-Supported Weather Monitoring," a revolutionary initiative spearheaded by Deepinder Goyal, CEO, and co-founder of Zomato.

Zomato partners with Weather Union to establish a crowd-supported weather system, aiming to provide real-time meteorological information at a local level.

The system's goal is to deliver localized, real-time information on critical meteorological variables. Weather Union is the largest private weather infrastructure in the nation, with over 650 solar-powered on-ground weather stations. The stations have sensors to collect hyperlocal real-time weather reports, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall, and they look like vintage lamp posts.

Crowd-Supported Weather
Source: India TV News

The CEO and co-founder of Zomato, Deepinder Goyal, highlighted the need for precise weather data for companies, particularly those in the service sector. Goyal stated, "At Zomato, precise and real-time weather data is essential for making informed decisions to serve our customers better." In keeping with this goal, Zomato is providing all Indian organizations and enterprises with free access to Weather Union's data through an API (Application Programming Interface).

The company is currently looking for volunteers to help extend the initiative further after working with prestigious universities such as the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS), IIT Delhi. Businesses and individuals can make a difference by providing space on their property for weather monitoring stations to be installed.

Crowd-Supported Weather
Source: Equitypandit

To ensure real-time accuracy, Weather Union's "Crowd-Supported Weather" network updates the live weather status every minute, boasting an impressive signal accuracy rate of approximately 96%. This robust platform can display up to 12 different meteorological indicators, providing comprehensive insights into current conditions. Leveraging in-house machine learning models, Zomato processes this data and shares it with delivery partners, empowering them to anticipate and prepare for any unforeseen weather events.

Zomato's kind decision to open up the Weather Union network to everyone demonstrates the company's dedication to the general welfare. Goyal said, "This data is too valuable to keep to ourselves or to monetize; therefore, as a Zomato Giveback, we are opening up access to this data to everyone."     

The introduction of "Crowd-Supported Weather" by Zomato not only enhances the accessibility of crucial meteorological data to a broader audience but also drives improvements in the company's operational efficiency. Through this initiative, businesses can leverage accurate weather forecasts to mitigate weather-related damages and ultimately save costs. Access to precise weather data enables informed decision-making across various operational facets, including supply chain management and marketing strategies.

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