In huge push for Digital India; Modi Govt deregulates mapmaking policy; lifts restrictions

To realise India's vision of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and to achieve the goal of a 5 trillion-dollar economy, the Narendra Modi government announced landmark reforms in the geospatial technology sector on Monday. 

The Department of Science and Technology has introduced sweeping changes to the country's map-making policy, specifically for Indian companies. Under the new reforms, geospatial data that used to be restricted earlier will now be freely available in India. 

Furthermore, Indian corporations and innovators will no be longer be bound by restrictions nor prior approvals before they collect, generate, prepare, disseminate, store, publish, update digital Geospatial Data and Maps within the territory of India.

Indian startups and mapping innovators will be trusted to self-certify, apply good judgment, and be relied upon to demonstrate adherence to guidelines. In addition, measures to promote the development of Indian geospatial innovations that take advantage of the latest map-making technologies are also proposed. 

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A new paradigm to Aatmanirbhar Bharat: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter to announce the reforms in the geospatial technology sector. "Liberalising policies governing the acquisition and production of geospatial data is a massive step in our vision for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat," he said. 

PM also said that the country’s farmers will also be benefited by leveraging the potential of geo-spatial and remote sensing data. "Democratizing data will enable the rise of new technologies and platforms that will drive efficiencies in agriculture and allied sectors, he tweeted. 

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Mapmaking in India completely deregulated

Elaborating further on the new policy, Union Minister MoS Dr Jitendra Singh said, "Mapmaking in India stands completely deregulated from February 15, this is in keeping with the agenda which has been followed by this government under PM Narendra Modi, the agenda of self-reliance and Atmanirbhar Bharat."

"Space technology has virtually entered every Indian household one way or the other and similarly by making mapping accessible to other stakeholders we would rather be incentivizing them to become partners in the development journey of New India," he said at a press conference. 

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Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed that the government has increased the budget by 30% of India DST and Ministry of Earth Sciences for 2021-22 as compared to last year.

"A budget allocation of Rs 50,000 crore over 5 years for National Research Foundation; Launch of Deep Ocean Mission with a budget outlay of more than 4000 crores," he said.

The revised mapping policy will enable Indian innovators to create substantial advances in mapping ultimately making lives easier and empowering small businesses. 

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