The Centre on Thursday launched Operation Dronagiri, a pilot project under National Geospatial Policy 2022 to demonstrate the potential applications of geospatial technologies and innovations in improving the quality of life of citizens and ease of doing business.

Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Professor Abhay Karandikar launched the project at Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

In his keynote address, he highlighted that the Operation Dronagiri is part of the numerous efforts of DST in liberalising geospatial data, developing geospatial infrastructure, geospatial skill and knowledge as well as standards in implementing the policy.

“In the first phase, Operation Dronagiri will be implemented in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh & Maharashtra, where pilot projects will be run and use cases will be demonstrated to showcase the potential applications of integration of geospatial data and technology in 3 sectors –Agriculture, Livelihoods, Logistics and Transport. Several Government departments, Industry, Corporate and Startups will be partnered with in the first phase. This will create the base for its Nationwide roll out,” he pointed out.

He emphasised that the operation gains a powerful backbone with support from Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI), also unveiled today, that will make spatial data accessible, bringing transformation similar to the process in which UPI has brought about financial inclusion.

The Integrated GDI enables seamless data sharing, access, and analysis for urban planning, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and more. Built with advanced data exchange protocols and privacy-preserving features, it empowers organisations to make data-driven decisions for the public good, fostering innovation and responsible use of geospatial data.

“A nationwide rollout is envisioned under a PPP model, with a similar approach to UPI’s deployment. Industry and private sector engagement will be pivotal in supporting this transformation in the geospatial sector,” Professor Karandikar pointed out.

Dr. Srikant Sastri, Chairman Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC) said that Operation Dronagiri represents a crucial step within the National Geospatial Policy, designed to position India as a global leader in geospatial technology.

Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, Surveyor General of India highlighted the National Geospatial Policy 2022 plan and said lots of efforts have been made by DST to implement the policy, while Prof. K N Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati described the role of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) in accelerating geospatial innovation.