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India's New Geospatial Policy to Transform Governance and Development

India is advancing an open, interoperable national geospatial ecosystem to enhance governance and sustainable development. Senior official Narendra Bhooshan highlighted that geospatial data is central to modern governance across sectors like agriculture and climate resilience. Key initiatives such as DILRMP and SVAMITVA use drones and GIS to improve land records. The forum emphasized international cooperation through UN-GGIM frameworks for disaster resilience and urban planning.

Key Points: India's Geospatial Policy for Governance & Sustainable Development

  • Geospatial data is a critical public good for planning and disaster response
  • India advances an interoperable national geospatial ecosystem
  • Modern governance relies on accurate geospatial data for agriculture, climate, and transport
  • Key initiatives like DILRMP, SVAMITVA, and NAKSHA improve land records and planning
2 min read

India's geospatial policy to boost governance, sustainable development: Top govt official

India advances an open, interoperable geospatial ecosystem to boost governance, disaster response, and sustainable development. Official highlights key initiatives.

"India's National Geospatial Policy marks an important milestone in building an open, interoperable, and innovation-driven geospatial ecosystem aligned with international best practices. - Narendra Bhooshan"

New Delhi, April 28

Geospatial information has become a critical public good for planning, disaster response and sustainable development, and India is advancing an interoperable national geospatial ecosystem, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

"India's National Geospatial Policy marks an important milestone in building an open, interoperable, and innovation-driven geospatial ecosystem aligned with international best practices," said Narendra Bhooshan, Secretary, Department of Land Resources at a technical expert forum.

He highlighted that modern governance increasingly depends on accurate, interoperable, and reliable geospatial data systems to enable proactive and efficient decision-making across sectors such as agriculture, engineering, climate resilience, transport, and land administration, an official statement said.

Geospatial data helps in decision-making, resilient infrastructure, land governance, environmental management and urban planning, he added.

Narendra Bhooshan said that geospatial information is no longer merely a technical support tool for decision-making but is increasingly becoming central to governance.

The event brought together policymakers, technical experts and international delegates from the Asia‑Pacific region to discuss the growing role of geospatial systems in governance, sustainable development, and public service delivery.

Key initiatives such as the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), SVAMITVA, and NAKSHA were cited as examples of using drones, aerial surveys, digital mapping, and GIS platforms to improve land records, property ownership documentation, and planning in both rural and urban areas.

India strongly values the role of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in shaping global norms, frameworks, and cooperation, Bhooshan said.

The forum highlighted the importance of global frameworks developed under the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), which provide countries with practical roadmaps to strengthen national geospatial ecosystems, improve institutional coordination and integrate data systems.

Delegates from the Asia-Pacific region emphasised the need for stronger cooperation in areas such as climate adaptation, disaster resilience, coastal vulnerability, urban expansion, agricultural sustainability, and modernisation of land administration systems.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Geospatial data can transform agriculture planning and disaster management. But I hope the government ensures open access to this data for startups and researchers. No point having good data if it's locked behind bureaucracy.
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Karthik V
Good initiative but implementation is key. In my district, the drone surveys for SVAMITVA were done but then the maps weren't updated for months. Need to ensure timely execution and proper training for local officials.
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Nisha Z
This is the kind of digital reform we need! Climate resilience planning with accurate data can save lives during floods and cyclones. Hope states also coordinate properly with the centre on this.
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Ramesh W
Finally moving towards modern land governance! In my town, NAKSHA helped resolve a boundary dispute that had been pending in court for 10 years. Digital mapping is a game changer for common people.
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Aditi M
Good to see India leading in geospatial policy. But we should also be careful about data privacy - especially when mapping rural properties. Need strong safeguards against misuse of personal location data.
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James A
As someone working in urban planning, I'm excited about this. Geospatial data can help design smarter cities and better public transport systems. But will the data be available to municipal corporations easily?

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