National Geospatial Policy, 2022
A Guiding Light for Implementation of Geospatial Regulations in India
Introduction:
The National Geospatial Policy of India (“NGP”) was notified on 29th December 2022 by the Department of Science and Technology ("DST"). Geospatial data includes location-specific data, and information on terrestrial and sub-terrestrial features, weather patterns, statistics on mobility, natural phenomenon etc., and is a valuable resource to both public and private sector entities. A precursor to the NGP were the Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and Geospatial Data Services including Maps (“Guidelines”) dated February 15, 2021, also issued by the DST. Prior to the introduction of the Guidelines, geospatial data was governed largely by the Survey of India ("SoI"), the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Finance. These regulatory authorities placed several restrictions on the access, use and dissemination of geospatial data, which impacted several entities and businesses that relied on geospatial data for their functioning. The Guidelines replaced the then-existing regulations governing geospatial data and served to liberalize the acquisition/production and access to geospatial data and de-regularized this sector.
The introduction of the NGP serves to set up a structure to implement regulations relating to geospatial data and NGP the primary goal of NGP is to set out an ‘overarching framework for holistic development of the geospatial ecosystem’ and to harness geospatial technology and date to achieve sustainable development goals. In an effort to democratize data, topographic data generated by the SoI and other geospatial data produced using public funds would be treated as ‘common goods’ and made available in the public domain.
The NGP outlines a roadmap to make India a world leader in the global geospatial sector and sets out milestones for 2025, 2030 and 2035, culminating in the creation of a National Digital Twin of major cities and towns, i.e., a virtual replica of such cities, characterized by secure and interoperable data sharing. The NGP also seeks to draw from international best practices and industry standards in the geospatial sector, to develop this sector in India.
The NGP sets out an institutional framework to oversee the use and management of geospatial data. The Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee ("GDPDC”) will be the apex body in this regard and take over the role of the National Spatial Data Committee and the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee in formulating and implementing guidelines and other programs for the promotion of the geospatial sector. The DST will be the nodal government department and will provide secretarial assistance to the GDPDC. While SoI will continue to be the overarching nodal agency for geospatial data, only the generation/ maintenance of minimal foundational data/ core functions would be performed by SoI. Finally, private sector entities will play a key role in creation and maintenance of geospatial and mapping infrastructure, innovations and process improvements and monetization of geospatial data.
The NGP places the responsibility of developing the global fundamental geospatial data themes recognized by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management ("UN-GGIM”) as national fundamental geospatial data themes on the GDPDC. The GDPDC will also focus on developing sectoral geospatial data themes for sectors such as agriculture, forest, disaster management etc. These sectoral themes would evolve based on modern concepts and private sector requirements. The GDPC proposes to designate state and central partnering agencies to partner with and work with private sector players to bring focus to and develop these sectoral data themes. Access to the national and sectoral geospatial data will be through the National Geospatial Data Registry and the Unified Geospatial Interface. The NGP also replaces the National Map Policy of 2005 and proposes (i) to simplify the rules and regulations for operating aircrafts and drones for surveying purposes and (ii) that benchmarks and certification standards be developed for arial survey professionals, unmanned [arial] vehicle survey professionals, remote sensing professionals etc.
Finally, the NGP emphasizes the importance of geospatial education and skill development by setting up of the Geospatial Skill Council, and geospatial incubation centers and industry accelerators. The NGP also focusses on the interplay between geospatial data and technology, to promote innovation and increase participation of the private sector.
Geospatial data is used in every sector of the economy and is considered critical national information. Further, export of geospatial data processing services is an important source of revenue of Indian companies in the geospatial sector. The introduction of the NGP and the framework for the collection and use of geospatial data will serve to boost the development of the Indian geospatial sector. If implemented properly, the NGP stands to benefit the Indian economy and will play a critical role in making India a global hub for geospatial services.
Authors
NIVEDITA NIVARGI
SUSHMA SOSHA PHILIP
Senior Associate