NEW DELHI, October 31, 2026 – Union Minister of State for Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh, has emphasized that geospatial capabilities will be one of the key determinants of India’s economic growth in the 21st century.
Dr. Singh made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at a workshop titled “Government & Industry Synergy for Geospatial Transformation: Co-Creating the Geospatial Economy for Viksit Bharat 2047,” held in New Delhi on Friday.
Addressing top industry leaders, scientists, and bureaucrats, the Minister highlighted the massive paradigm shift that has occurred in India’s geospatial sector over the past decade. He noted that the National Geospatial Policy 2022 has created a liberal, open framework that facilitates the generation, accessibility, and unhindered use of data while easily accommodating emerging technologies like Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Dr. Singh drew a sharp contrast between the past and present, highlighting the dramatic transformation of the Survey of India (SoI). Once viewed as an organization focused on traditional, labor-intensive mapping, the SoI has successfully adapted to the modern technology-driven era, pivoting entirely to satellite-based mapping, drone integration, and rapid computer-based data processing.
Calling for a stronger partnership between the government and the private sector, Dr. Singh stated that the approach moving forward should be to “Enable, invest, and adopt.” He highlighted successful Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models in the space and biotechnology sectors as blueprints that can be replicated to accelerate growth in the geospatial domain.
He reiterated the Union Government’s commitment to creating a more business-friendly environment by dismantling bureaucratic bottlenecks, simplifying procedures, and removing unnecessary regulations to unleash indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Geospatial infrastructure is essential for organizing information on national resources, ensuring their optimal utilization—particularly during our ongoing energy transition—and addressing global challenges such as climate change,” the Minister stated, urging various government departments to proactively work with the Survey of India to adopt geospatial applications in their respective fields.
Concluding his address, Dr. Singh remarked that India has transitioned from being a “trailing” nation in the 20th century to a “future-ready” global co-creator in the 21st century, with the capacity to shape the global scientific landscape.
The high-level workshop was attended by key stakeholders, including S.K. Sinha (Surveyor General of India), Srikant Sastri (Chairman, Geospatial Data Promotion & Development Committee – GDPDC), and Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare (Secretary, Department of Science & Technology).
Published by True Roots Media Network