Indian Weather Forecasting Supercomputers Minister Rijiju Awaits French Intervention Amid Delivery Delay

KIren Rijiju


In this Article:

  • Introduction

  • Background of the Delay

  • Minister Rijiju's Concerns and Hope for Resolution

  • Steps Taken by the Government

  • Technical Specifications of the Supercomputers

  • Conclusion


Introduction

In a concerning development, Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed his dissatisfaction with the prolonged delay in the delivery of two high-performance supercomputers ordered from the French firm Eviden. The acquisition, valued at USD 100 million, aimed to enhance the computing capabilities of key Indian weather forecasting institutions, namely the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). Despite the union cabinet's approval and the ministry's readiness to release the funds, financial troubles faced by the French company have led to setbacks. Minister Rijiju remains optimistic about resolving the issue promptly, emphasizing the need for legal correctness and hoping for the French government's intervention.


Background of the Delay

The earth sciences ministry had set an ambitious target for the delivery in December, but the French company, facing financial challenges, requested the Indian government to make payments directly to its subsidiary. Minister Rijiju expressed his dismay over the situation, highlighting that the delay has raised concerns, especially since the timeline has been exceeded. Despite the eagerness to expedite the process, the minister emphasized the importance of ensuring a legally sound transaction, considering the substantial amount involved. The government's primary concern is avoiding potential complications in the event of the company facing financial instability.


Minister Rijiju's Concerns and Hope for Resolution

In a video interview with PTI, Minister Rijiju shared his frustration over the delay, citing the government's urgency to enhance computing capabilities from the current four petaflops to a more robust 18 petaflops. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the financial troubles of the French company but expressed confidence in finding a resolution soon. Minister Rijiju stressed the government's willingness to release the funds promptly, provided legal safeguards are in place to protect against potential risks associated with the supplier's financial stability.


Steps Taken by the Government

Minister Rijiju hinted at the government's proactive measures to expedite the delivery of the supercomputers without providing specific details. The emphasis, however, remained on ensuring a legally sound and secure transaction. The minister's commitment to addressing the issue promptly is evident, and he expressed hope that the French government, given the strong bilateral ties, would also intervene to facilitate a smooth resolution.

Please check the following website for job updates:

https://naukriguruji.in/

Technical Specifications of the Supercomputers

The supercomputing systems, based on Eviden’s BullSequana XH2000, are expected to provide an impressive combined power capacity of up to 21.3 petaflops. The NCMRWF supercomputer, designed for weather and climate modeling to support advanced numerical weather prediction research, boasts an 8.3 petaflop computing capacity. The system integrates cutting-edge technologies, including 2,100 CPU nodes with AMD EPYC 7643 processors, 18 GPU nodes with NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs, the NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand networking platform, and high-performance memory from Micron. Storage capabilities include 2PB all flash and 20PB disk-based DDN EXAScaler ES400NVX2 parallel filesystem storage.


The IITM-based supercomputer, tailored for atmosphere and climate research, offers an impressive 13 petaflops of computing power. The system comprises 3,000 CPU nodes using AMD EPYC 7643 processors and 26 GPU nodes equipped with NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs. Leveraging the NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand networking platform with in-network computing, the supercomputer integrates 3PB all flash and 29PB disk-based DDN EXAScaler ES400NVX2 storage, along with high-technology memory from Micron.


Conclusion

Despite the challenges posed by the delay in the delivery of the supercomputers, Minister Rijiju remains optimistic about a timely resolution. The emphasis on legal correctness and the government's proactive stance reflects a commitment to ensuring a smooth transaction while safeguarding against potential risks. As India awaits the arrival of these cutting-edge supercomputers, the hope for swift intervention from the French government adds an additional layer of optimism for the successful culmination of this crucial technological advancement for Indian weather forecasting.