In this keynote from the Geospatial World Forum 2025, held in Madrid, Spain, Kunal Satyarthi, Joint Secretary at the Department of Land Resources (DOLR), Government of India, outlines seven major challenges the country faces in land management—and the innovative solutions currently underway. From digitizing rural land records to deploying drones, GNSS, and LiDAR for urban mapping, he presents the vision behind key national programs like SVAMITVA, Digital India Land Records Modernization, and NAKSHA. He explains how India is addressing issues such as non-cadastral and fragmented land records, building a unified and transparent land management platform, and encouraging cities to adopt geospatial innovation. He also discusses the role of AI, digital maps, and citizen access systems in improving land rights and supporting long-term resilience.
