The four-day GeoSmart World Conference & Expo 2025 commenced with a powerful welcome address that reflected on India’s remarkable transformation in the geospatial and space ecosystem. The opening remarks emphasised that India’s journey has been “explosive, purpose-driven, and marked by reforms that have redefined how the nation maps, measures, and manages its growth.”
During the special address, Amitabh Kant underscored that the ₹50,000-crore geospatial market doubling by 2030 and the USD 44-billion projection for India’s space economy by 2033 must serve as a catalyst for far greater ambition. He stressed that India’s aspiration of a USD 30-trillion economy demands exponential growth in innovation, data accessibility, and public–private collaboration.
Kant stated “We opened up the geospatial sector in 2021 after overcoming strong resistance. The potential today is huge, but innovation must move at the pace of India’s ambition. Geospatial technologies are foundational we cannot build a Viksit Bharat without them.”
Emphasising that closed or restricted datasets hinder innovation, he added that open, interoperable, machine-readable data is essential for India to compete with global leaders such as the UK, Singapore and the Nordic nations.
He urged the industry to deliver one decisive outcome “In the next 12 months, build one fully operational Indian city running on a live geospatial and AI operating system not a pilot, not a demo, but a real city with measurable improvements. One city can set a global benchmark.”
Vivek Bharadwaj, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, shared the remarkable progress achieved under the SVAMITVA programme and the impact of simple geospatial tools at the village level. He highlighted how millions have benefited through over 3.5 lakh villages surveyed,3 crore property cards issued, and legally verified geospatial maps that are resolving disputes, enabling credit, and empowering citizens. He added, “This is not just mapping it is rewriting the economic and social story of rural India.”
Manoj Joshi, IAS, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, spoke about India’s efforts to modernise land governance through high-precision geospatial layers. He explained the concept of India’s Land Stack, which integrates a nationwide base map, verified plot boundaries, and unified parcel-level datasets. “A precise land map,” he noted, “is the backbone of transparent governance, efficient planning, and citizen trust.”
Srikant Sastri, Chairman, Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee, Government of India, highlighted the urgency of reducing reliance on foreign navigation and geospatial systems, especially after recent GPS disruptions affecting aviation. “Geospatial is not just a technology, it is a foundation for India’s economic strength and technology sovereignty.”
He also highlighted the success of Operation Dronagiri, where coordinated geospatial and space-based insights helped farmers and local administrations achieve measurable benefits.
Dr. Saurabh Garg emphasised the importance of integrating geospatial intelligence with national statistical systems to enhance planning, monitoring and public service delivery. He highlighted how spatial datasets combined with statistical frameworks can strengthen evidence-based governance across ministries.
Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India highlighted the growing adoption of GIS across India’s governance, infrastructure, climate and citizen-service landscape. He noted that Esri India now hosts over 800 authoritative datasets and is advancing platforms such as Bharat Envi Analytics that integrate satellite data, AI insights and geospatial intelligence.
“Geospatial technology,” he said, “is now a strategic asset for national growth and India is ready to scale it like never before.”
Dr. Rahul Shandilya, Group President – Digital & IT, GMR Group announced GMR Group’s vision for a national spatial data bank, developed through collaboration with Vexcel. Highlighting the importance of high-resolution aerial data, he said it will transform: parcel-level mapping, infrastructure monitoring, urban resilience, and environmental insights. He stated, “This is mission-critical for the next phase of India’s growth. High-quality spatial data is a national resource.”
S.K. Sinha, Additional Surveyor General, Survey of India highlighted the national vision of One Nation, One Map, emphasising decentralised data ownership coupled with centralised integration through the Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI). He added “maps are no longer static tools—they are dynamic assets that enable precision governance and strengthen national sovereignty.”