Hyderabad: There are more than 250 start-ups working in the geospatial sector in the country and the number is remarkable as space technology was opened for start-ups only two-three years ago, Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, said here on Tuesday.
Delivering the keynote address at the second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress, he said the space technology functioned under a veil of secrecy and the area could be opened up for wider participation of the industry at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few years ago.
The regulations which were not absolutely necessary were done away with, he said.
The country jumping from rank 80 to 40 in the global innovation index is testimony to the progress achieved by the country during the last eight-nine years, he said.
He flagged the issue of technologies not being uniformly adapted across the world. While next-generation technology is increasingly available, its adaptability is not uniform across the world, he said. Some nations are quick to adapt, some late, he said. “Nevertheless, this is something we have to uniformly proceed globally,” he said.
He said the geospatial economy is poised for big growth which would also generate employment on a large scale.
India has been one of the earliest adaptors of the geospatial technology, he said while appreciating organisations like Survey of India, Geological Survey of India, and ISRO for their efforts.
He said a beautiful experiment in mapping of roads and mapping of the land records under a programme called ‘SVAMITVA’ has been done.
Observing that India is in a position to offer cues for many of its collaborators, he said the country is constantly endeavouring to build its capacities and also to be self-reliant.
The country is looking forward to playing an important role as a component of the global economy when it celebrates 100th anniversary of Independence and technologies like geospatial technology would have a key contribution to make, he said.
Asked if the government is focusing on specific projects vis-a-vis geospatial technology in view of the country’s unique problems, Singh told reporters later that India’s problems are also its opportunities. The ‘SVAMITVA’ scheme of the Union government is a success story and the country is taking the lead notwithstanding the challenges, he said.
Replying to a query on space debris, S Somanath, secretary, Department of Space and ISRO chief, said the Minister recently inaugurated the biggest facility in Bengaluru in which the ISRO continuously observes debris not only generated by India but the entire world.
Modi gave the inaugural address as a video message to the event.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres sent a message.
Stefan Schweinfest, Director UN-GGIM Secretariat, UN Statistics Division, and others also spoke on the occasion.
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