The Indian Space Research Organisation is looking at developing a data collection platform that can warn about tsunamis a few hours in advance.

"Although it is humanly impossible to predict the exact target of the waves, we are looking at some sort of a data collection platform in the sea, which can relay signals to the Centre and warn the people," ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters in Panaji on Saturday.

He was in Goa as the chief guest of the convocation ceremony of Goa University.

"We were initially not prepared for the tsunami as it was an unexpected event, one that happens only once in half a century. Also satellite images do not pick up tsunamis as the wave height is very minimal. Even if we do detect it, it is not possible to predict which areas it will affect and what kind of damage it can cause," he said.