The increasing ubiquity of spatial applications and solutions, and their intertwined nature with EO and space, offer enormous prospects for sustainable growth, however, there are certain challenges that need to be resolved.
The Ministry of Science and Technology, in February 2021 deregulated the geospatial sector to grant open access to the geospatial data and services, including maps, for all Indian entities, with the exception of sensitive defence or security-related data.
Due to this watershed move, the private sector and innovators no longer require prior approvals before generating or updating digital geospatial data and maps within the territory of India. There is also no requirement for security clearance, license, or any other restrictions.
Geospatial technologies mainly consist of Remote Sensing GIS (Geographic Information System), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Survey 3D modelling. The biggest consumer of geospatial data in India is the Survey of India (SoI), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Remote Sensing Application Centres (RSACs), the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and all ministries and departments.
Geo-Intelligence is another massive use category of spatial data collection. Increasing use of horizontal technologies like IoT, big data analytics, AI, mobility, and cyber not only enables full potential utilization of geo-intelligence assets but also opens up new use cases in military intelligence.
The Geospatial market as of 2021 was Rs 38972 Cr. As per the Geospatial “Artha” Report 2021, India’s geospatial economy has been projected to cross Rs 63,000 crore by 2025, growing at a rate of 12.8%, providing employment to more than 10 lakh people mainly through geospatial start-ups. There are also reports that put the projected net worth growth at Rs 1 lakh crore by the year 2029 CAGR. As mentioned by Union minister of state for Science and Technology Shri Jitendra Singh, India’s robust ecosystem is led by technology start-ups. There are around 250 geospatial start-ups in India and most would be moving towards high-tech ground-level surveillance.
With more investments and government budgetary support, there will be a spurt in geospatial innovations leading to more accuracy of data which would eventually bring down the cost of innovation, a huge win-win for tech start-ups. The private sector is set to take precedence over international tech giants sooner than we know. The country will extend this infrastructure access to benefit South Asian neighbouring states as well.
To provide a much-needed impetus, the Indian government has provisioned for a Geospatial Incubator and the Bhunidhi portal, both developed by Hyderabad’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), and a solar calculator developed by ISRO’s Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad and National Toponymy Database.
Recently, several bodies such as Survey of India, Geological Survey of India, National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO), ISRO, and the National Informatics Centre implemented several GIS-based pilot projects across a range of domains such as waste resource management, agriculture, telecommunications, disaster and climate management, environmental studies, architecture, forestry, urban planning, etc. to demonstrate the applications of geospatial.
There are plans by the government to leverage spatial data in projects such as SVAMITVA, Gati-Shakti, Smart Cities and Disaster Management. Let’s look at some of these ambitious government projects where geospatial technology would disrupt the market.
SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas)
Establishment of Continuous Operating Reference System (CORS) network with large-scale mapping using Drones of Rural inhabited (Abadi) locations by Survey of India using drone Survey. The objective of the program is the creation of accurate land records for rural planning, and to bring financial stability to the citizens in rural India by enabling them to use their property as a financial asset.
In the creation of survey infrastructure, GIS maps would be leveraged to support the preparation of a better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
The survey will be done across the country in a phased manner over the period 2020 -2025.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is the Nodal Ministry for implementing the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme. Survey of India shall work as the technology partner for implementation.
Massive role of Spatial Data in the Gati Shakti Project
The most ambitious Gati Shakti project entails the geospatial mapping of everything where different layers of maps would be integrated, leading to unified and coherent planning with better time-and-cost optimization.
The introduction of GIS in governance would ease of doing business and reduce compliance burden. Moreover, advances in mapping technology will become the base for innovation in other projects like Smart Cities and Disaster Management Policy.
Disaster Management
During any emergency, the role of a reliable Decision Support System is very crucial for effective response and recovery. With better connectivity networks, damage costs from natural disasters can be potentially reduced by 39% therefore Information and Communication Technologies in form of Internet, GIS, Remote Sensing, Satellite communication, etc. are indispensable in achieving that.
The country is already proving satellite-based near real-time information support to Central Ministries / Departments and State Ministries / Departments, before and after major natural disasters.
‘Digital North East 2022’ was announced to leverage GIS, RS and space technologies in fulfilling the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) needs to act as a Decision Support System [DSS] in the North Eastern Region [NER] which has been a digitally deprived region in India.
ISRO is actively involved with various other countries in this, through international frameworks, such as International Charter ‘Space & Major Disasters’, Sentinel Asia, UNESCAP, and so on. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has joined hands with India in implementing the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management (DRM) programme in 169 most vulnerable Districts of 17 States in India.
Relevant information is disseminated in the interactive geospatial domain through various geoportals like Bhuvan, National Database for Emergency Management and the Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre [MOSDAC] for the administrators to better understand the impact and for improved decision support.
Way Forward
There is a massive potential for India’s geospatial sector, however, a few hurdles remain viz., lack of awareness among potential users including the government, and inadequately skilled manpower. The unavailability of high-resolution data is also a huge constraint. Additionally, there is a lack of clarity on data sharing and collaboration which prevents co-creation and asset maximization.
The scope of deospatial tools is humongous, however, due to these challenges the use cases aren’t foolproof. India lacks skilled manpower and core professionals who understand geospatial end-to-end.
Despite being the most rational technology for managing disasters, spatial tech is hindered by the high cost of adoption. In next-gen mapping and GNSS in India, global tech giants are still dominating the space although homegrown companies are trying to make inroads.
India needs to raise awareness, increase access to government data, provide training for professionals, and plunge investment into the sector.
We need to develop our own resources for mapping and GNSS to realise the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the vision of a $5 trillion economy. In the case of indigenous GNSS service in India, the Government needs to invest in developing and mandating the adoption of standards. There’s a need for uniform standards, protocols and norms across the country.
The role of Artificial Intelligence [AI] is vital to all disaster management phases, leading to a faster, more concise, and equipped response. Technologists are rapidly pushing AI’s ability to have highly accurate forecasts, optimizing aid deployment and real-time monitoring and staying prepared for a more resilient tomorrow and India needs to catch up with the required pace in this arena.
Data accuracy is a critical challenge and to achieve this a network of ground control points (GCP) is needed to accurately map the imagery with ground coordinates and its relative position on Earth. There is also a need to create a centralized database to capture and store all data results. Standardization of the data entry process, and smooth availability of high-resolution data remains essential. Therefore, the issue of availability of suitable equipment to capture data must also be addressed.
Awareness needs to be created among potential users in government and private across various sectors. Inter-ministerial collaboration needs to be formed.
Localisation of Data can address national security issues. There is a need to develop a geospatial data cloud locally and facilitate a solution-as-a-service. National organizations like the SOI should be entrusted with the responsibility of regulation and projects related to the nation’s security and scientific significance.
Academic backing is also critical. India should start a bachelor’s programme in geospatial also in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Besides these, there should be a dedicated geospatial university.
We need to promote research and development efforts for technology indigenization.
Disclaimer: Views Expressed are Author's Own. Geospatial World May or May Not Endorse it
