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Climate change is no longer a future threat—it’s a present reality, disproportionately impacting smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities worldwide. But amid the growing crisis, technology is opening up new ways to mitigate its effects. In this episode of the Analytics Insight Podcast, host Priya Dialani speaks to Sarathy Srinivas, Head of International Business at WRMS Global (Weather Risk Management Services), on how emerging technologies are playing a critical role in building climate resilience at scale.
With a two-decade legacy rooted in India’s agrarian crisis, WRMS Global is now leading a global movement that integrates insurance innovation, real-time data, and IoT infrastructure to support over 10 million people across 25 countries.
Climate resilience refers to a community's ability to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from climate-related shocks. But in regions where infrastructure is limited and resources are scarce, this is a complex challenge.
“Smallholder farmers were already living hand-to-mouth when we started WRMS Global back in 2005,” Sarathy shares, adding, “Failed monsoons had pushed them into unbearable debt, and the system wasn’t designed to support them.” This grim reality led to WRMS’s founding, as three professionals—an insurance expert, a chartered accountant, and a tech entrepreneur—came together to build a mission-driven enterprise focused on making communities climate-resilient.
Today, that mission is more urgent than ever. WRMS’s model brings together three foundational pillars: innovative insurance, data infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology—to deliver scalable, fast-acting solutions to people facing the frontlines of climate change.
“It’s no longer about waiting for help to arrive—technology allows us to deliver protection, services, and information instantly and affordably,” Sarathy emphasizes.
WRMS Global stands out as a pioneer in parametric insurance, a revolutionary approach that removes the friction from traditional claim systems. Unlike conventional policies that require damage assessment and paperwork, parametric insurance is predefined, data-driven, and instant.
Here’s how it works: If a pre-agreed threshold (say, 100 mm of rainfall) is met or breached, an automatic payout is triggered—no claim forms, no inspections, no questions asked. This mechanism offers farmers both predictability and security, addressing one of the biggest gaps in rural insurance coverage.
“We’ve implemented this model in India and five other countries, and now we’re scaling to 20 more,” Sarathy notes. “It’s about flipping the insurance model on its head—making it simpler, faster, and trustworthy.”
Supporting this innovation is WRMS Global’s robust data engine, which ingests over 30 million data points from weather stations, satellites, and other climate sources. This vast data stack allows WRMS Global to deliver hyper-local, real-time intelligence that supports not only insurance payouts but also advisory services, risk assessments, and early warning systems.
But data alone isn’t enough. Technology brings everything together. WRMS Global uses IoT infrastructure, including automatic weather stations manufactured in-house, to enable instant and seamless deployment of climate resilience solutions. “What used to take months to roll out can now happen in minutes or days,” Sarathy Srinivas highlights, further mentioning, “Speed is everything when lives and livelihoods are on the line.”
WRMS Global’s three-pronged model is delivering tangible value across several fronts:
Affordable protection: Parametric insurance eliminates ambiguity and ensures timely financial support when disasters strike.
Smart agriculture: Real-time data and advisories help farmers make better planting and harvesting decisions.
Rapid scaling: With cloud-based platforms and smart devices, WRMS Global can extend services across countries without adding operational friction.
The results are compelling. WRMS Global has impacted over 10 million lives, managed a US$5 billion resilience portfolio, and built partnerships with 50+ institutions. The company’s 200+ employees operate with one clear purpose: to make climate resilience universal, not just aspirational.
“Everything we do is to ensure that resilience isn’t a privilege—it’s a right,” Sarathy Srinivas affirms. “And we’re proving that technology, when done right, can deliver that promise.”
Climate change is not a distant headline—it’s a daily battle for millions. But thanks to organizations like WRMS Global, powered by emerging technologies and mission-driven innovation, resilience is no longer out of reach.
“As climate risks grow, so must our solutions,” concludes Sarathy Srinivas. “Our mission remains unchanged: make communities climate-resilient—efficiently, affordably, and globally.”
