A profile-based option to save map preferences would make a big difference and feels like a pretty reasonable expectation for usability. Even a simple “remember last settings” feature would help. Hopefully this gets some attention, because persistent configurations would improve the experience a lot.

It sounds like you’ve done a lot of digging and figured out the right approach. In India, radar data is controlled by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, not IMD directly, so going through MoES is the proper channel. Framing the request as controlled data use for public safety—through NDMA or research institutions like IITs or IISc—makes it more likely to succeed. Generic emails to IMD or local offices usually don’t get responses. Having the right contacts at MoES can save a lot of time and make the process much smoother.