Troika of space, drone and geospatial policy will propel India as leading technological power: Minister

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the Troika of Space, Drone and Geospatial Policy will propel India as a pre-eminent Technological Power in a few Years from now. Addressing a National Conference on ‘Geospatial Policy for National Development’, the minister said that unlocking of the space sector for private participation in June 2020, issue of Liberalized Guidelines for Geospatial Data in February 2021 and final approval of Geospatial Policy in December 2022 and Liberalized Drone Rules, followed by Drone Amendment Rules-2022 notified by Ministry of Civil Aviation were decided under the second tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It will also open huge employment opportunities.” He added that as per one industry estimate, Indian Geospatial economy in 2021 employed approximately 5 lakh people across the country spread across the domestic market which is expected to rise over 10 lakhs by 2025. “Actual collection and collation of data and development of data themes have to be increasingly done with private sector participation consistent with Geospatial Guidelines.” He added that the needs and requirements of the citizens related to various Geospatial/location-based solutions have to be predominantly serviced by the private sector with SoI and nodal ministries and agencies of various Geospatial Data themes in a facilitative role.