Zomato’s Giveback
Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal unveiled India’s inaugural crowd-supported weather infrastructure, known as the ‘Weather Union,’ aimed at providing localized, real-time data on crucial weather parameters. He also announced the data from this weather infrastructure accessible to the public as part of its ‘Zomato Giveback’ initiative.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Goyal shared the link (https://weatherunion.com) to this new endeavor and highlighted that with a proprietary network of over 650 on-ground weather stations, the Weather Union stands as the largest private infrastructure of its kind in India. These weather stations, developed by Zomato, offer real-time information on temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and more.
Currently operational in 45 major cities, these weather stations are set to expand to other Indian cities in the near future. Goyal emphasized that the “rich data” from these stations holds immense potential for various weather-related applications in enterprises and research institutes.
Goyal explained that the company recognized the importance of precise and timely weather information in making informed business decisions to better serve customers. Therefore, the company took the initiative to develop a solution that would empower them in this regard. As part of the ‘Zomato Giveback,’ Zomato is providing free access to its weather infrastructure through an API to all institutions and companies in India.
Addressing the question of offering the data for free, Goyal affirmed that they consider this data too valuable to restrict or monetize. Hence, as a Zomato Giveback, they are making it accessible to everyone for the public good. He emphasized the potential for multiple companies and public institutions to utilize real-time weather data to enhance the productivity of the economy.
Furthermore, Goyal mentioned that Weather Union is seeking to expand its infrastructure and is seeking volunteers who can provide space to install weather stations. He also noted that many Zomato employees have already hosted weather stations at their homes and welcomed more volunteers to contribute to nation-building by offering space for installation.
