India Geospatial Roundup 2023: Key Updates from AGI to Look Back At
The Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI) had an eventful 2023, which also marked our 14th Raising Day celebration. Throughout the year, we made consistent progress towards our mandates of policy advocacy, industry support and development, as well as knowledge outreach and promotion for the Geospatial sector in India.
This blog talks about major announcements and accomplishments of AGI and its member ecosystem. To view the complete year-round bulletin, visit the AGI blog.





Policy Advocacy
- AGI was invited to discuss the roles of industry bodies in the context of the National Geospatial Policy 2022 under the chairmanship of the GDPDC Chairman, Shri R. S. Sharma.
- AGI was invited to share comprehensive suggestions and recommendations for key schemes and policies such as SVAMITVA and NGP 2022 with line ministries for their implementation aligned with industry perspectives.
- AGI promoted and encouraged participation and implementation of initiatives like the Self-Certification Portal, etc. at the behest of DST India
- We continued sharing key announcements and analysis of Policies, Bills, and Budget with the AGI member ecosystem, including the Indian Space Policy 2023.
Strategic Partnerships
AGI forged several key partnerships this year for events and initiatives, fostering multi-stakeholder collaborations.
Government: Department of Science & Technology, Survey of India, Department of Land Resources, Bureau of Indian Standards, Australian High Commission, Belgian High Commission
Industry: Indian Space Association, T-Hub, Geospatial World Chamber of Commerce, Business Sweden, Open Geospatial Consortium
Research & Academia: IIT Tirupati Navavishkar I-Hub Foundation (IITTNiF), Anna University, CEPT University
Thematic Events: Umagine Chennai 2023, Economic Times Global Sustainability Alliance, Economic Times Infra Tech Summit, FCC Infrastructure Today Conclave – North East, BusinessWorld Supply Chain Summit.
Skilling and Capacity Development
As the Voice of the Geospatial Industry in the country, AGI has been working closely towards formation of Geospatial Skill Council since 2019. This year, senior industry leaders representing AGI were invited to be part of the National Committee for formation of the Geospatial Sector Skill Council. Combined with contributions from the AGI Secretariat, this committee spearheaded a detailed proposal for sharing with relevant stakeholders.
AGI’s Active Role in Geospatial Sector Skill Council Formation |
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2019: AGI becomes part of the Expert Committee formed for the Geospatial Sector Skill Council. |
Feb 2020: The Expert Committee Report on the Geospatial Sector Skill Council, with AGI’s active contributions, is published. |
Aug 2021: AGI and NIGST, Survey of India, signed an MoU for Geospatial skilled training in Aug 2021. |
Jan 2023: AGI met with Director NCVET to discuss and steer the formation of the Sector Skill Council. |
June 2023: Senior industry leaders representing AGI become part of the National Committee for formation of the Skill Council. |
October 2023: The Proposal promoters, anchored by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, submit a detailed proposal advocating the formation of the Geospatial Sector Skill Council in India. |
AGI also co-hosted skilling workshops and seminars for students and faculty at premier institutes:
- Workshop on Utility of Geospatial Technologies in Architecture and Planning conducted at School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi.
- GeoBIM Seminar at Christ University conducted for PG and PhD students and faculty members.
- GeoBIM: Current Trends and Future Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and CEPT University
- Agriculture Analytics with the Synergy of Geospatial Technologies and AI Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and Anna University
- Applications of Hyperspectral imagery for Urban Feature extraction Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and CEPT University
- Climate Change: Geospatial Data Analytics for Sustainable Solutions Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and IITTNiF
- Synergy of Geospatial Technologies and AI: Current Trends & Future Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and IITTNiF
- Applications of Geospatial Technologies for Smart Cities Webinar, co-hosted by AGI and CEPT University
Knowledge, Outreach, and Geospatial Evangelism
Throughout the year, AGI conducted multiple Knowledge Sessions, Symposiums, and Stakeholder meets to disseminate awareness on the significance of Geospatial technologies across sectors, the rapidly shaping Geospatial technology landscape, and the plethora of future possibilities in the industry. Here’s a brief snapshot:
Thematic Webinars
- Role of Geospatial Technologies in Forest Management with Indian Institute of Forest Management, Esri India, IIC Technologies, Planet, and Satpalda on the International Day of Forests.
- Role of Geospatial ESG in Sustainable Development with the World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, Hexagon, Ceinsys, and Emitech Infosystems to celebrate World Earth Day.
- Mapping the Future of Geospatial: Select Insights with Genesys International, Tech Mahindra, and UNL.
- GIS in Transport and Logistics on the transformative power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Transport and Logistics on the occasion of GIS Day 2023.
Symposiums and Stakeholder Meets
On the National Technology Day, the Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI) hosted a Symposium on “What’s Powering the Next in Geospatial” with key stakeholders from the Geospatial ecosystem. The interactive session broke down the road ahead by having experts analyze the key Opportunities, Outcomes, Breakthroughs, and Demands in the post-Policy landscape.
AGI participated in the First Roundtable Discussion on Geospatial Technologies organized by T-Hub and IITTNiF, represented by Mr. Brahmam Gorugantu (NeoGeoInfo Technologies), with participation from leaders from the Govt. of Telangana, NRSC, ISRO, AWS, Hexagon India, and Survey of India.
The OGC India Forum was organized by The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) alongside GeoSmart India 2023, in partnership with AGI and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The Forum focused on the transformative power of open standards and the future of FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) in India. OGC India Forum’s new charter, committee compositions, and future roadmap were also unveiled during the event.
AGI hosted the GeoResilience Symposium in New Delhi on 28th November, 2023, on the theme – Harnessing Geospatial Technologies for Disaster Management. The Symposium was graced by Shri Narendra Singh Bundela, IPS, Inspector General, NDRF, and Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, as Chief Guests, and several other eminent experts in the field of Disaster Management as panelists, moderators, and delegates. Read the key takeaways of the symposium HERE.
Support to DST for Conference on Geospatial Policy for National Development
AGI was an official Associate Partner for the national conference by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, playing a proactive role in speaker and delegate mobilization from the Geospatial industry, offering marketing and promotion of the conference through emailers, socials and blogs, mobilizing and managing exhibitions from the industry, mobilizing sponsorship(s) for the conference from the industry, and offering documentation support and compilation for all event sessions.
Support for Manthan Workshop by DST at NIGST, Survey of India
AGI extended support to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for the Manthan Workshop, a pivotal event aimed at defining the role and operational scope of DST’s envisioned Geospatial innovation hub. Our assistance encompassed comprehensive agenda curation, efficient program management, mobilization of speakers and delegates, event promotion, and meticulous documentation. This collaborative effort sought to bring together diverse stakeholders from the innovation and geospatial technology sectors to collectively articulate the innovation hub’s functions and operational parameters. AGI’s involvement contributed to the success and effectiveness of the workshop in achieving its strategic objectives.
Support to Survey of India for CORS Network Inauguration Event
The Survey of India hosted the “Inauguration of Nationwide CORS Network and Stakeholder Conference on Ortho-Rectified Image (ORI) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Generation” to discuss the roadmap for better applicability of the newly established CORS network in the country, as envisaged in the National Geospatial Policy 2022. During the event, the recently established and operationalized countrywide CORS network was inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology. AGI provided integral support to Survey of India throughout program management and hosting.
AGI Members Showcase: The Year at a Glance
AGI’s enterprising members marked the year with a long list of announcements, achievements, and innovations. While enlisting all of them would be well beyond the scope of this compilation, we have put together an indicative list of some of the best highlights from our member companies all year round.
AGI is proud to be associated with groundbreaking organizations in the field of Geospatial technologies, many of whom have made it to the Geoawesomeness Global Top 100 Geospatial Companies – 2023 Edition, including Esri, Genesys International Corporation Ltd, Google, HERE Technologies, Hexagon, Maxar Technologies, Planet, TomTom, and Trimble Inc.
AllTerra India and NeoGeoInfo Technologies bagged the “largest-ever” drone-based land parcel mapping contract from the Karnataka government through an open competition process. According to a statement from the companies, the project spans 68,000 square kilometers and ten districts in Karnataka: Gadag, Koppal, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, and Kalaburagi.
Esri India launched the ‘Carbon Jagruk’ or the ‘CarbonAware’ app, available in Hindi and English, enabling citizens to estimate and reduce their carbon footprint. They received the WGIC DEI Trailblazer – Corporate Impact Award by the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC), for company-wide initiatives established and implemented to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Esri and TEXMin Foundation also signed an MOU at the Esri India UC for setting up a Geospatial Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.
Genesys International was awarded Rs. 22 cr contract for 3D digital twin mapping of one of Asia’s largest slum clusters, Dharavi. Genesys has also launched the new India Map stack for 2D navigational maps, ADAS maps, and street images—this layer targets advanced platforms in automotive, consumer, logistics, and infrastructure areas.
Google helped prevent 1.2 million metric tons of estimated carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 250,000 cars off the road, according to its 2023 environmental report. This was with the feature for Google Maps that allows drivers to select routes based on estimated fuel efficiency.
HERE Technologies was once again at the top of Omdia’s annual ranking of mapping companies with an improved score, widening the gap with the competitors.
Hexagon announced HxGN Smart Sites, a real-time data visualization and location intelligence solution for complex site operations, such as industrial facilities, airports, hospitals, and entertainment venues. HxGN Smart Sites combines any type of real-time, dynamic, and static data into a 3D common operational picture – a digital twin of facilities and their operations. It turns disparate data into usable information and brings shared situational awareness to all stakeholders in any closed environment with critical infrastructure.
Oracle was recognized as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Strategic Cloud Platform Services, which represents an increase in both “ability to execute” and “completeness of vision” and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s (OCI) ability to meet customer needs, track record of innovation and continued growth strategy. Today, OCI offers 47 public cloud regions across 23 countries, including two EU Sovereign Cloud regions, to address data residency and data sovereignty requirements in that region. Oracle’s multicloud approach enables customers to combine cloud services from multiple clouds to optimize cost, functionality, and performance.
TomTom announced its partnership with Microsoft to bring Generative AI into vehicles. Together, the companies have developed an AI-powered voice assistant that will allow drivers to easily ask for directions, find stops or control temperature, windows and radio stations — all with a single interaction.
Aarvee Associates procured Phase One Aerial Systems (PAS) 150 MP-MK2 camera & Teledyne Galaxy T100 Aerial LiDAR to deliver groundbreaking solutions, streamline processes, and set new benchmarks for performance. Aarvee bagged projects of nearly 7500 km of Final Location Survey for new & existing railway lines using Aerial LiDAR. They successfully completed the aerial aircraft survey of more than 15000 Sq. Km. for APSSLR- Survey, Settlement and Land Record, AP and the DPR & Final Location Survey for East-Coast, East-West & North-South corridors of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India totalling nearly 4000 km. Aarvee was awarded one of the prestigious metro projects “DPR for Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Phase III metro corridor for package II & III” by Hyderabad Airport Metro Ltd and the Aerial Lidar Survey work of the Kolleru lake AP. Credit Ratings of the company have been upgraded to [ICRA]A+(Stable)/[ICRA]A1 from [ICRA]A(Stable)/[ICRA]A2+.
Avineon celebrated 25 years in India with a grand event, celebrating its enterprising leadership and staff and their relentless dedication to cutting-edge technological innovation.
Ceinsys released its new brand identity, reflecting its present and future direction. Their new brand identity not just reflects a modern look but also captures their mission to provide excellent quality, performance and support across the specialized verticals in which they operate. Their tagline: ‘Enhancing Possibilities’ is a promise to clients and partners to shape a brighter future by enhancing the possibilities today and every day. Ceinsys is foraying into the next-gen tech space with the launch of its subsidiary ‘MEG-Nxt’ with a new office in Pune. They also announced the acquisition of a new contract for the Implementation of Flow Monitoring System for Thermal Power Station in the state of Maharashtra. The project aims to optimize plant operations and enhance efficiency by providing real-time data on fluid flow and pressure.
Planet hosted its annual conference Explore 2023 in Washington, D.C. for the first time ever, on April 12th and 13th. The event was a great forum for organizations to engage, build partnerships, and create solutions to meet the most pressing challenges of our time, from climate change to national security to digital transformation.
Scanpoint Geomatics Ltd was featured in the coffee table book published by IN-SPACe. The book aims to showcase the capability of India in the space sector.
CyberSWIFT Infotech CEO Paresh Patel was featured as Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 in The CEO Magazine – India!
Geospatial World successfully hosted the GeoSmart India 2023 annual conference that brought together stakeholders from the industry, government, and academia for three power-packed days of sessions, workshops, and user meets. AGI members Amazon Web Services (AWS), Esri India, Trimble Inc., NeoGeoInfo Technologies, IIC Technologies, Planet, Scanpoint Geomatics, Excel Geomatics, Marvel Geospatial Solutions, GalaxEye, and Garudalytics spoke and exhibited their offerings at the conference. The well-curated and informative plenary and parallel tracks gave each attendee a lot to take back.
Marvel Geospatial Solutions celebrated 15 years in business in 2023. The organization also introduced its new brand identity on the occasion and plans to become more interactive and resource-focused on its social networks. Tune in to their page for more insights!
Nascent Info Technologies signed an MoU with IN-SPACe, an autonomous agency under the Department of Space, to create synergies leveraging Nascent’s expertise in GIS applications and ISRO’s vast pool of Earth Observation Data.
Satpalda was awarded with the Business Innovator award at the Agri Vision 2023 International Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development organized by Society for Agricultural Research & Management (SARM), Cuttack, in collaboration with the Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar. Satpalda also recently delivered a comprehensive geospatial solution to the Airport Authority of India for land record data management based on GIS, Satellite Imagery, Photogrammetry, DGPS, and GPR survey. This was a multi-faceted approach and the data was hosted on a customized Web GIS platform for viewing and editing in a 2D and 3D environment.
GalaxEye Space became the first Indian private company building a Multi-Sensor Imaging Satellite with EO and SAR Data fusion, and was listed among the Top 10 SmallSat Startups to Watch in 2023 by leading space media house Via Satellite. GalaxEye also announced a strategic partnership with ideaForge that paves the way for a game-changing UAV FOPEN (Foliage Penetration) Radar, designed specifically for the unique needs of security forces. This capability will overcome obstructions like clouds, fog, smoke, mist, camouflage nets, and dense tree-canopy foliage, that often hinder surveillance operations
Garudalytics secured top 5 positions in both the research and startup challenge at the Geospatial Hackathon organized by CIE International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH), DST, Survey of India, and Microsoft! In the research challenge, Garudalytics emerged as the winner by developing an exceptional GeoAI entity recognition model to extract a predefined set of entities from raw text and generate thematic maps, showcasing our expertise in geospatial analytics and machine learning.
Nebula Cloud received the coveted NVIDIA Cloud Validation for its Workbench for NeRF, which is now officially published on the NVIDIA AI Accelerated Applications Catalog. The combined power of Nebula Cloud Workbench and NVIDIA’s cutting-edge GPU acceleration unlocks new potential for AI, data science, and design projects.
Click here for PART 1 of the year roundup.
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