In a small laboratory on the outskirts of the Indian city of Hyderabad, professor Kirti Sahu is studying raindrops.

Using a machine that simulates the conditions of clouds, he is among a number of scientists aiming to understand how climate change and pollution are changing the monsoon rains that underpin the country¡¯s agrarian economy.

¡°The Indian monsoon is full of mystery. If we can predict rainfall, it will be huge for us,¡± said Sahu, a researcher in the department of chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad.