A major national workshop aimed at fortifying India's geospatial infrastructure was held in the capital on Wednesday. The event, themed 'Geospatial Mission: An Enabler of Viksit Bharat', was organized by the Survey of India under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, New Delhi.
Building a Framework for the Future
The workshop served as a convergence point for senior officials from central and state governments, international and domestic domain experts, and leaders from industry, academia, and research institutions. The collective goal was to deliberate on strengthening the nation's geospatial ecosystem in alignment with the National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022 and the long-term vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
Discussions highlighted geospatial information as a critical pillar for modern governance, infrastructure development, and delivering services to citizens. The focus was on creating a unified and interoperable national geospatial framework to enable evidence-based decision-making across vital sectors.
Leadership Emphasizes Strategic Importance
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, underlined the pivotal role of geospatial technologies in nation-building. He pointed to the geospatial guidelines of 2021, the NGP 2022, and the launch of the National Geospatial Mission (NGM) as comprehensive government initiatives to develop a modern and accessible framework.
Dr. Singh praised the Survey of India for its leadership in advancing a self-reliant geospatial ecosystem. During the event, he and other dignitaries released a commemorative coffee table book published by the Survey of India.
Key Focus Areas and Technological Integration
Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the DST, noted that the existing policies have already fostered an innovation-driven environment. He stated that the proposed NGM would concentrate on geodetic modernisation, interoperability, and capacity building.
Hitesh Kumar Makwana, IAS, Surveyor General of India, detailed the organization's ongoing efforts. These include modernising the national geodetic reference framework, expanding Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) services, standardising data, and enhancing collaboration with states and private stakeholders.
The workshop featured four thematic sessions exploring India's evolving geospatial landscape. Key topics included:
- Modernising the national geodetic reference frame for horizontal and vertical measurements.
- Densifying the CORS infrastructure network.
- Strengthening mapping infrastructure with high-resolution imagery and elevation models.
- Establishing a robust geo-ICT framework for seamless data access via platforms like the National Geospatial Data Registry (NGDR) and the Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI).
Panelists stressed the need for national standards to ensure data consistency and integration across datasets from diverse sources. The growing impact of Artificial Intelligence, UAVs, LiDAR, 3D mapping, and digital twin technology was also highlighted, underscoring the importance of tripartite collaboration between government, industry, and academia to accelerate innovation.
International Engagement and Showcasing Progress
A significant announcement was made during the workshop: the Survey of India, on behalf of the Government of India, has joined the multilateral memorandum of understanding of the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE). This move aims to strengthen the global geodesy supply chain.
An accompanying exhibition showcased the Survey of India's products and services, such as the geodetic asset register, asset maps, CORS services, and multilingual state maps.
The national workshop ultimately reaffirmed the Government of India's commitment to leveraging geospatial data and technologies as a strategic national asset. It positioned this ecosystem as a key driver for building a resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.
