The Minister also participated in a roundtable discussion with senior Government officials and industry leaders on opportunities, challenges and perspectives for taking the geospatial sector forward.
Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the exhibition and interacted with exhibitors. He said geospatial information had evolved from a technical resource for mapping and surveying into a strategic national asset for economic growth. Several far-reaching geospatial reforms had been undertaken over the past 12–13 years with the encouragement of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he said, adding that implementing them had required courage and conviction.
The Minister highlighted the transformation of the Survey of India from an organisation focused on traditional, labour-intensive surveying to one adapting to satellite-based mapping, drones and computer-based technologies. Recalling his visit to its Dehradun campus, he said its historic working arrangements reflected the physical demands of surveying in earlier times, while today’s work required young professionals with technology and computing skills.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also called for stronger public-private partnerships to expand markets, develop viable business models and encourage startups and MSMEs. He said the National Geospatial Policy 2022 provided an open framework that could accommodate emerging technologies, including geospatial artificial intelligence (AI). Describing AI as a tool that could improve the speed and precision of work, he said its use should be encouraged across sectors.
The Minister urged Government departments to identify areas in which they could work with the Survey of India and asked the Surveyor General to organise virtual meetings to familiarise them with the organisation’s capabilities. Wider awareness, he said, could help departments and private industry identify opportunities for collaboration. Emphasising industry’s role in advancing the sector, he said the way forward was to “enable, invest and adopt”—enabling to build confidence, investing to develop capability, and adopting geospatial solutions to generate economic growth
Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, said geospatial infrastructure could help organise information on national resources and support their optimal use, including during the energy transition. He noted that the National Geospatial Policy 2022 recognised DST as the nodal agency for the geospatial domain and provided for a liberal environment for the generation, accessibility and use of data.
Prof. Waghmare highlighted the convergence of satellite and drone technologies, artificial intelligence, optics and rapid data processing. He said Government priorities should be informed by real-world applications and industry requirements. Geospatial infrastructure could support India’s diverse needs, promote indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthen global partnerships and help address challenges such as climate change, he added.
S. K. Sinha, Surveyor General of India, thanked Dr. Jitendra Singh for his guidance and support in advancing geospatial reforms. He said the National Geospatial Policy 2022 had laid the foundation for an open, innovation-driven ecosystem, and that Government, industry and academia would need to work together to translate geospatial potential into economic opportunity. The Survey of India was working with industry to support flagship Government programmes through foundational geospatial data and positioning infrastructure, he said, expressing confidence that the workshop would help turn the shared vision into collaborative action.
During the roundtable discussion, the Minister said that the Government is committed to creating a more business-friendly and facilitative environment by simplifying procedures, removing unnecessary regulations and encouraging innovation. Emphasising the importance of collaboration between the government and private sector, the Minister highlighted successful models in sectors such as space and biotechnology that can be replicated to accelerate growth. He also encouraged stakeholders to identify procedural bottlenecks, leverage government support mechanisms and work together to unlock the immense potential of the geospatial sector.
The workshop was attended by Shri S. K. Sinha, Surveyor General of India; Shri Srikant Sastri, Chairman, Geospatial Data Promotion & Development Committee (GDPDC); and Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology (DST).
