From a draconian Geospatial Information Regulation Bill in 2016, that sought to criminalize acquisition or distribution of any geospatial information of India without permission from proper government authorities, to complete deregulation of geospatial data last week, India has come a long way.
Under the new guidelines released on February 15, all Indian entities will be free to acquire, collect, generate, prepare, disseminate, store, share, publish, distribute, update, digitize and/or create geospatial data, including maps, of any territorial waters by using any geospatial technology. The announcement is remarkable in many ways since it opens up huge opportunities for the Indian geospatial industry. In the words of Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, the reforms will unlock a value of INR 1,000 billion (USD 13.8 billion) by 2030, by creating tremendous opportunities for start-ups, private sector, public sector and research institutions. They will also generate employment and accelerate economic growth.
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Boost to GDP
The benefits go beyond geospatial industry. It has been variously estimated that efficient and effective usage of geospatial information could add almost 2% growth to the overall GDP through direct contribution. Since geospatial information is fundamental to mission-mode projects like smart cities, highways, modernization of railways, inter-linking of waterways or the Digital India initiative, the easing of norms will greatly help in several sectors that were suffering because of non-availability of high quality maps. The availability of data and modern mapping technologies to Indian companies is also crucial for achieving India’s policy aim of AtmaNirbhar Bharat (self-dependent India) and its vision of becoming a five trillion-dollar economy.
There is a close correlation between geospatial readiness and other human development indicators. It has been observed that countries that are high in adoption of geospatial technologies stand to gain more than others in terms of contribution to GDP, standard of living for citizens and quality of infrastructure.
For instance, US, UK, Germany, Singapore and The Netherlands rank among the top 10 on the Countries Geospatial Readiness Index (CGRI)-2019, and are also the leaders on human development and other fronts. The CGRI ranks India at the 25th place. India’s ranking on these pillars and multiple sub-pillars which represent various subcomponents of the geospatial sector ecosystem provides ample insights on the need for an integrated approach from government and national geospatial agencies for a holistic development of the sector. While India’s inability to fully harness the development and commercial opportunities is due to a combination of factors, the less-than-optimum role played by the national geospatial agencies is one of the key reasons.
As with other countries, digitalization presents India with a rare opportunity to make swift economic progress all across. New-age technologies like IoT, Artificial intelligence, Cloud, Wireless & Broadband and Big Data are empowering the assimilation of spatial information into existing business processes. Analyzing data using Geographic Information system is becoming a critical core strategy for successful decision making in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Potential to be a global geospatial powerhouse
But again, this goes beyond India in many ways. India is a paradise for outsourcing of IT services and R&D due to lower costs, higher quality, and a huge talent pool with great communication skills. A liberalized geospatial environment in India could play a significant role in further innovation and development of low-cost services and solutions for the global industry. In the end, it’s a win-win for all.
As Dr Vardhan said, “What is readily available globally does not need to be regulated.”
India was late in picking up the ball. But it’s never too late to get the ball rolling.