According to an ISRO statement, the physics-based soil moisture retrieval algorithm, developed at the Space Applications Center (SAC-ISRO), ensures scientific robustness, reliability and operational accuracy.
ISRO on Saturday said NISAR is systematically imaging the Indian landmass in S- and L-band to deliver high-resolution and wide swath data with a repetition of 12 days.
It said this data has been used effectively to demonstrate the generation of soil-moisture products at a high resolution of 100 metres.
The space agency said soil moisture plays a key role in India’s agriculture and water management, being a key indicator of crop health, irrigation requirements and drought risk.
According to an ISRO statement, the soil-moisture products, displayed using both S- and L-band data, provide consistent estimates across diverse agro-climatic regions of India – from irrigated plains and rain-fed agricultural lands to semi-arid and high rainfall areas.
The physics-based soil moisture retrieval algorithm, developed at the Space Applications Center (SAC-ISRO), ensures scientific robustness, reliability and operational accuracy, it said.
ISRO said, “With the capability to deliver two observations every 12 days, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) enables real-time tracking of soil moisture dynamics. This continuous monitoring supports irrigation planning, drought preparedness, agro-meteorological advisories and regional water resources management at a scale relevant to districts and farming communities.”
The space agency informed that to support the national operations, 100 m level-4 operational soil moisture products with two observations every 12 days will be systematically generated at the National Remote Sensing Center (IMGEOS/NRSC) and disseminated through the Bhundhi portal, ensuring seamless access to farmers, planners, researchers, government agencies and Non-Government Entities (NGEs) across the country.
Published on February 14, 2026
