Geospatial Tech Key to Viksit Bharat: Dr Jitendra Singh at National Workshop

Dr. Singh emphasised that India’s development goals increasingly rely on robust geospatial datasets.

 

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh today described geospatial technologies as a foundational pillar of India’s development transformation, noting that geospatial information has become indispensable for planning, execution, and service delivery across critical sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, defence, urban development, climate action and disaster management.

Addressing the National Workshop on “Strengthening of Geospatial Ecosystem – Geospatial Mission: An Enabler of Viksit Bharat” through a video message, Dr. Singh said India’s geospatial progress over the past decade reflects a systemic shift from regulation to empowerment, made possible through the reform-driven leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Landmark Reforms that Enabled India’s Geospatial Revolution

The Minister highlighted the 2021 Geospatial Liberalisation Guidelines and the National Geospatial Policy 2022 as watershed reforms that:

• Democratised access to high-accuracy geospatial data

• Encouraged private-sector innovation

• Catalysed new geospatial startups

• Boosted industry participation

• Expanded the integration of geospatial technologies across sectors

Building upon this momentum, the Government has launched the National Geospatial Mission, envisioned as a transformative whole-of-government initiative to develop a modern, accurate and accessible national geospatial infrastructure aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.

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Geospatial Data: Critical for National Priorities

Dr. Singh emphasised that India’s development goals increasingly rely on robust geospatial datasets. These include:

• Smart cities and urban planning

• High-quality road, rail and logistics infrastructure

• Precision agriculture and sustainable farming

• Natural resource and water management

• Disaster risk reduction and early warning systems

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Next-generation defence and border security

Recognising the Survey of India’s legacy as India’s oldest scientific department, he commended its leadership in strengthening India’s geospatial ecosystem and launched a Coffee Table Book showcasing the Survey of India’s historical contributions and technological evolution.

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National Workshop Gathers Key Stakeholders to Shape India’s Geospatial Vision

The workshop, held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, brought together:

• Senior officials from Central and State Governments

• Domain experts from India and abroad

• Industry leaders and startups

• Academia and research institutions

The forum focused on aligning India’s geospatial strategy with national development goals and global best practices.

Survey of India’s Expanding Geodetic and Mapping Infrastructure

Welcoming participants, Shri Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, Surveyor General of India, highlighted the Survey of India’s achievements:

• Establishment of 1,100+ Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS)

• Over 15,000 active users of CORS services nationwide

• Integration of state and research CORS networks into a unified national geodetic reference framework

This modernisation ensures highly accurate geolocation data, essential for transport planning, drone operations, precision farming, and mapping.

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Keynote Address: Strengthening Geospatial Innovation and Capacity

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, noted that the 2021 Guidelines and 2022 Policy have created an innovation-driven ecosystem. He outlined the priorities of the upcoming National Geospatial Mission, including:

• Geodetic modernisation and accuracy enhancement

• Interoperability across platforms and data layers

• Strengthening Geo-ICT infrastructure

• Adoption of AI, ML, and emerging technologies

• Promotion of R&D in geospatial sciences

• Capacity building to develop a skilled geospatial workforce

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Deliberations Focused on Systems, Standards and Next-Gen Tools

The workshop featured technical discussions on:

• Upgrading the National Geodetic Reference Frame

• Densifying CORS infrastructure for nationwide coverage

• Enhancing mapping and geospatial data capabilities

• Developing a robust Geo-ICT framework enabling seamless access to datasets through platforms such as:

  • National Geospatial Data Registry (NGDR)

  • Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI)

These tools aim to standardize and democratize high-quality geospatial information for diverse stakeholders.

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India Joins Global Geodesy Initiative under the United Nations

A major announcement during the workshop was that the Survey of India has joined the multilateral MoU of the UN Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE).This aligns India with global efforts to strengthen the geodesy supply chain, improve data accuracy, and contribute to international geospatial governance.

An exhibition held alongside showcased key Survey of India products, including:

• Geodetic Asset Register

• Geodetic Asset Maps

• CORS services demonstrations

• Multilingual state maps

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Conclusion: Geospatial Tech as a Strategic Asset for Viksit Bharat

The National Workshop reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to treating geospatial technologies as a strategic national asset, essential for:

• good governance

• evidence-based policy-making

• efficient public service delivery

• national security

• climate resilience

• innovation-led economic growth

As India moves toward the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, geospatial data and technologies will serve as a backbone for creating a resilient, inclusive, digitally empowered, and globally competitive nation.