iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Ahead of the second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from October 10-14, 2022, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday, October 2, that India’s geospatial economy is expected to cross $7733 million (Rs 63,100 crore) by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8%.
Convened by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), the Second UNWGIC 2022 will be organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations and hosted by the Department of Science & Technology – Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
The core theme of the Second UNWGIC 2022 ‘Geo-Enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind’ will reflect on the importance of integrated geospatial information to support sustainable development and the well-being of people, address environmental and climate challenges, embrace digital transformation and technological development, and catalyze a vibrant economy.
Singh added, geospatial technology has become one of the key enablers in socio-economic development by enhancing productivity, ensuring sustainable infrastructure planning, effective administration, and aiding the farm sector.
The UNWGIC will be attended by over 2000 delegates including 700 plus international delegates and participants from 120 countries. National Mapping Agencies (NMAs) like the Survey of India, senior government officials, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry, user, & private sector from across the globe will also take part in the Geospatial Congress.
Singh said, leveraging the power of geospatial information and technologies will help the country address its multi-dimensional financial growth goals and sustainable development faster. Singh emphasized that geospatial technology and GIS are going to make a significant impact in the way India has been adopting this technology and moving ahead.
“Accurate, real-time geospatial information combined with other data, like demography, healthcare facilities, and vaccination centers, has immensely helped us to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic emergency effectively,” Singh said. “The government has been digitizing and mapping the entire rural sector to ensure better planning and implementation of the developmental schemes.”
Recognizing the critical role of national geospatial and mapping agencies, the commercial sector, and user industries, India is developing a conducive environment and synergies for public-private partnerships through various policy reforms. Singh said that the guidelines for Geospatial Data, the Drone Rules 2021, and the Draft Policies (Geospatial, Remote Sensing, and Satellite Navigation) will liberalize, democratize, and commercialize the use of geospatial data and information for planning and monitoring requirements within the country.
In his statement, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, S. Chandrasekhar said, the Government of India is committed to advancing the critical role of integrated geospatial information management in implementing national and global development objectives for a shared future and a more inclusive world. He said India is steadfast in working together to strengthen geospatial infrastructure at local, national, regional, and global levels and harness the potential of geospatial knowledge services by developing innovative, effective, and scalable solutions to address sustainable development goals (SDGs).
