India’s SVAMITVA Scheme Showcased as Global Model at Land Governance Summit

Quoting the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, Shri Bharadwaj reflected on how untitled rural properties globally represent dormant capital.

India took the international spotlight at the prestigious World Bank Land Conference 2025, held from 6th to 8th May in Washington D.C., asserting its position as a trailblazer in inclusive land governance, grassroots empowerment, and technology-enabled rural development. The country’s multifaceted intervention across high-level plenary sessions and dedicated side events was led by senior officials from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with Secretary Shri Vivek Bharadwaj delivering a compelling address during the plenary session titled “Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform” on May 6, 2025.

Central to India’s narrative at the conference was the SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas), which has redefined the contours of rural land governance by integrating advanced geospatial technology with grassroots administrative mechanisms. Spearheaded under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the scheme aims to provide legal ownership of land parcels to millions of rural households through drone-based mapping and digitization.

Shri Bharadwaj narrated SVAMITVA’s journey—highlighting how it began with strategic onboarding of States, amendments to legal and procedural frameworks, and the creation of a robust technical ecosystem, including the deployment of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). He noted the significance of navigating India’s federal structure, where reform required meticulous coordination between Central and State governments, active Panchayati Raj Institutions, and community participation.

Unlocking Trillions in Asset Value and Human Potential

Quoting the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, Shri Bharadwaj reflected on how untitled rural properties globally represent dormant capital. He highlighted that India has already surveyed over 68,000 square kilometers of rural land, unlocking asset value estimated at $1.16 trillion. These titles are now providing rural families with security, dignity, and access to formal credit systems.

Through powerful real-life anecdotes, such as a dairy farmer from Madhya Pradesh who leveraged his land title to expand operations and a Rajasthani mother who used land collateral to finance her daughter’s overseas education, the Secretary illustrated how legal recognition of land catalyzes socio-economic transformation.

Global Discourse on Securing Land Rights for a Billion People

India’s thought leadership continued on 7th May 2025 during the special side event titled “Securing Land Rights for a Billion People.” This session, hosted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, commenced with opening remarks from Dr. Klaus W. Deininger, Lead Economist, World Bank, followed by an introduction by Mr. Somik V. Lall, Senior Advisor, DECVP, World Bank.

Shri Bharadwaj delivered a detailed presentation on the SVAMITVA Scheme’s impact and scalability. The session saw enthusiastic participation from senior advisors to seven Executive Directors of the World Bank, representing various global regions including Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The side event served as a vital platform for international dialogue, with a focused discussion on implementation methodologies, community engagement strategies, and the technology stack powering India’s land governance model. Delegates explored possibilities of adopting or adapting SVAMITVA-like models in countries with similar administrative and land tenure landscapes, paving the way for global cooperation.

Gram Manchitra: Spatial Planning for Panchayats

On 8th May 2025, attention shifted to Gram Manchitra, India’s GIS-based spatial planning platform. Shri Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, delivered a technical session demonstrating how Gram Manchitra is revolutionizing participatory planning at the Panchayat level. The platform integrates satellite imagery, land records, and development schemes into a user-friendly visual dashboard, empowering local bodies to make spatially-informed decisions for sustainable development.

Shri Nagar emphasized how this digital infrastructure supports resilience building, disaster risk reduction, infrastructure optimization, and socio-economic inclusion at the village level. The session emphasized India's ability to combine cutting-edge technology with grassroots governance for holistic rural development.

India’s Global Call for Action on SDG 1.4.2

India’s engagements throughout the conference positioned it not merely as a successful case study but as a global call to action for inclusive land reform. The interventions strongly aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 1.4.2, which aims to ensure legal ownership and control over land and property, particularly for vulnerable groups.

India demonstrated that a data-driven, community-centric, and federally coordinated approach can overcome deep-rooted land insecurity issues. Its model, which balances policy reform, technology, and citizen empowerment, offers a replicable framework for countries grappling with similar challenges.

A New Era in Global Land Governance

India’s active and influential role at the World Bank Land Conference 2025 not only showcased its domestic innovations but also invited the world to co-create a future where land governance fuels dignity, credit access, entrepreneurship, and intergenerational prosperity. As developing nations look to modernize their land systems, India’s voice now resonates as a leading advocate of technology-enabled, inclusive, and participatory land reforms, making it a beacon of hope for a billion people still waiting for their land rights to be recognized.