Vishal Sharma highlights India’s expanding global leadership in ocean science

Hyderabad: India is solidifying its global leadership in ocean science and disaster risk reduction, said Vishal V. Sharma, India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, during his visit to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad on Monday.

Ambassador Sharma inspected the SynOps Lab, which provides tsunami early warning and ocean forecasting for India and several Indian Ocean and Pacific Island nations. He also addressed INCOIS scientists and reviewed updates on the institution’s expanding mandate and global partnerships.

India pushes for regional satellite and youth training in ocean science

As the Vice-Chair of IOC-INDIO, Sharma said India is working on initiatives such as launching a dedicated ocean observation satellite for the Indian Ocean region. He also stressed the importance of creating new training opportunities for young scientists in oceanographic research.

INCOIS operates as India’s nodal agency for tsunami alerts and serves as a Regional Tsunami Service Provider and International Training Centre under UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Sharma highlighted India’s growing stature in this space, citing the recent visit of IOC head and former Norwegian foreign minister Vidar Helgesen to INCOIS.

INCOIS Director Dr. Balakrishnan Nair, IOC-IOTIMMS Chairperson Dr. Pattabhi Ramarao, and Group Director Dr. Sudhir Joseph were among the senior scientists present.