Dr. Sunil Kumar Khadgarai

Industry-focused Atmospheric and Climate Scientist with 14+ years of experience delivering advanced weather and climate analytics for extreme rainfall, urban flood risk, tropical cyclones, and climate variability. Recognized expert in satellite–radar–gauge data fusion, precipitation diagnostics, and quality control frameworks supporting real-time decision systems. Author of 20+ high-impact peer-reviewed publications (predominantly Q1 journals), demonstrating strong capability in translating complex atmospheric science into operational and business-relevant insights.

Proficient in Python-driven analytics, climate datasets (GPM, IMERG, ERA5), and forecast verification.

Project Scientist - Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) - Pune

(2022-05)

• Leading deployment and analytics of short-range X-band radar networks for high-resolution urban precipitation monitoring.
• Supporting real-time rainfall intelligence and extreme event diagnostics for urban flood early-warning applications.
• Integrating radar, gauge, and satellite precipitation datasets to improve accuracy and reliability of rainfall products.

Research Associate - Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) - Pune

(2019-05 - 2022-04)

• Quantified tropical cyclone rainfall structure and intensity over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea using GPM-DPR.
• Assessed urbanization-driven changes in extreme rainfall characteristics over Mumbai.
• Co-developed and validated MESONET, a mesoscale rain gauge network supporting operational hydrometeorological services.

Postdoctoral Fellow - Hirosaki University - Japan

(2016 - 2018)

• Designed End-of-the-Day (EOD) rainfall quality control algorithms for APHRODITE-2 daily precipitation datasets.
• Enhanced gauge data reliability through satellite-based consistency checks.
• Delivered international technical training and workshops under Japan–India research collaborations.

Ph.D. - Physics (Satellite Meteorology) - Andhra University (2016)

M.Sc. - Physics (Electronics) - Berhampur University (2008)

B.Sc. - Honours - Berhampur University (2005)