The government has invited officials from all countries, including Pakistan, that were once part of undivided India to mark 150 years of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal have been invited to join the celebrations. Representatives from the Middle East and Southwest Asia are also on the guest list.

“We wanted officials from all countries which were part of undivided India at the time of IMD’s establishment to be part of the celebrations,” said a senior IMD official.

While Pakistan has confirmed its participation, the IMD is still waiting to hear from Bangladesh.

To make the celebrations memorable, the Ministry of Finance has approved a special Rs 150 commemorative coin. From marathons to exhibitions, workshops to olympiads, the festivities are expected to be as vibrant as India’s weather itself. For the first time ever, the IMD will showcase its own tableau in the Republic Day parade.

Born in 1875 during the British era, the IMD turns 150 on January 15. Its creation came after a cyclone devastated Calcutta in 1864 and back-to-back monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871.

What began as a humble setup has evolved into a powerhouse of weather forecasting, communication, and scientific innovation.

In the age of telegrams, the IMD sent weather warnings the old-school way. Later, it became a tech pioneer, introducing India’s first message-switching computer for global data exchange and one of the earliest electronic computers for meteorological research.

India also broke ground as the first developing country to launch its own geostationary satellite, INSAT, for round-the-clock weather monitoring and cyclone alerts.