GIS/GPS – Trends and Applications in India

Manjunath Akkipeddi
American River College, Geography 350: Data Acquisition in GIS; Spring 2006
E-Mail: akkipem@zip.arc.losrios.edu
 

GIS/GPS applications have been found in various public and private sectors in India.  The ever-growing software industry in India has been a catalyst for GIS development.  India’s contribution to global GIS has been noteworthy; however, more indigenous solutions need to be developed to implement GIS/GPS technology use in India rather than its contribution to other nations. 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, data, personnel and business rules designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographically referenced information. 

The Global Positioning System, usually called GPS, is the only fully functional satellite navigation system. A constellation of more than two dozen GPS satellites broadcasts precise timing signals by radio to GPS receivers, allowing them to accurately determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude) in any weather, day or night, anywhere on Earth. 

India, the seventh largest country in the world and the second largest in Asia, has a total geographical area of total: 3,287,590 sq km (1,269,346 sq miles) with 90.4% land and 9.6% water. It is slightly more than one-third the size of the United States.  The mainland stretches from 8^o4' N to 37^o6' N and 68^o7' E to 97^o 25' E. It has a land frontier of 14,103 km (8,763 miles) and a coastline of 7,000 km (4,350 miles). It has 28 states and 7 union territories.

For the size of the country and volume of specialist in this field, it is heartening to note that awareness of GIS potential is felt very much in this country. It shows that various seminars, symposiums and workshops have yielded much in the past so many years. But the variation among the states using this facility is much more.  

Also, it is equally important that all the resources should give niche to our Indian Economy. As per the feedback on 'Indian GIS Market' by 'Map India' conference held at New Delhi, the growth of GIS market in India is Rs 79 Crore (790 Million Rupees) in the year 1999-2000, which is an increase of Rs 50 Crore (500 Million Rupees) from the year 1996-97. According to the report on export of ITES from India to North America (by US based Stevens International Consulting (SIC) for electronic and computer software export promotion council), the GIS exports from India are expected to reach US $150 million (1 US Dollar = 45 Rupees, approximately) in year 2005 (exports in the year 2000 was US $60 million). Industrial GIS services are expanding at 10-15% per annum in India. The relative share of the GIS market in the 'design software market' is expected to increase moderately from 16.1% in 96-97 to 19% in 99-2000. It is estimated that based upon the industrial projects there will be 35-40% increased growth in GIS industry in India during next few years.

Applications and Analysis in Various Fields 

Academia

Academia and professional organizations are promoting GIS through increased use of web-based classes and certification programs. However, they should be offered as specializations instead of curricular material in Civil Engineering or Geography programs. Professional organizations should also enable their workers to explore the possibilities of GIS/GPS instead of limiting these applications to meet their needs. A streamlined and integrated effort will ensure India contributes to the development of GIS as a Science rather than merely creating GIS technicians.  

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Bombay is offering a Master of Technology program in Geodesy and Remote Sensing along with several research programs such as dam deformation studies and earthquake studies. 

Government and Urban Planning

Departments of Science & Technology and Space are actively involved in the GPS Program for Earthquake Studies. There is a great demand for GPS in businesses although the software contribution by India to GPS is minimal and GPS awareness is not up to the desirable levels. 

Municipal GIS is by far one of the most critical uses for the geographic information system. Almost all cities will have to conduct a similar exercise in the next several years due to the severe municipal financial crisis, even though it is generally mandated every five years. The magnitude of financial benefit from this is enormous. After successful completion of the Gorakhpur GIS, Pilot Phase, the results were presented in front of the then Chief Secretary of the State, who gave the word for Municipal GIS to be initiated in all the 11 Municipal towns in the State.

Surveying

GPS is now a common technique for terrestrial surveying and the most used method for geodetic surveying.

Integration of satellite survey techniques with land record data involves vectorizing 1- meter resolution images from the satellites to about 20 to 100 GPS positions obtained on the ground using a ground earth station. The vectorized satellite image is georeferenced and overlaid in relation to these points using standard imaging software and the techniques of edge matching and union.

Farming and Agriculture

Precision farming and agriculture are new methods that utilize the capabilities of GIS and GPS. Crop production management has improved by leaps and bounds with these applications. Agricultural use of GPS is limited but is anticipated to receive a greater role in the future. Farmers have already started using GPS to track plant and weed growth.

Remote sensing technology applications have led to the formulation of crop acreage and production estimation (CAPE) project which was first major project launched under Remote SENSING Application Mission (RSAM) and Department of Space (DOS) in 1986. First use of satellite digital data was made in Karnal district of Haryana using Landsat MSS data, which made significant contributions towards acreage and production estimation of rice and wheat in the country. 

Use of remote sensing and GIS technology was very useful in the preparation of groundwater prospective areas mapping and management plan of the dairy farm in a scientific basis. Use of GIS and Remote Sensing technology is very useful for the preparation of the ground water prospective areas mapping & Dairy-Farm Management Plan on scientific basis. The information generated on Integrated Farm and Dairy Management prospects; quality and depth in a single map will help the decision-makers for devising sound and feasible development plan.

Business

GIS and GPS application is a growing phenomenon in retail marketing and distribution sectors of business in India. Businesses and their customer attraction tend to depend on the geographic location to a great extent. Companies are reassessing their approaches to markets by spatial analysis of their focus regions. Banks have used GIS to achieve goals such as customer base expansion, improved customer service and profitability growth.

Implementation of GIS has helped a multinational advertising agency in improving understanding, productivity and efficiency in Indian market scenario. It also looks into the details of how GIS has been customized to fulfill user's requirement. GIS helped them in planning for maximum coverage of area, identifying uncovered markets and locating them, designing route plans, based on available road information and demographics on these markets, planning optimum routes for delivery to whole sale/retail outlets and product promotional campaigns. 

Natural Environmental Management

GIS is a powerful tool for environmental data analysis and planning. GIS helps in Planning and Managing the environmental hazards and risks. Developmental issues such as over use, congestion, incompatible land-use and poor living conditions can be dealt with a proper understanding that can be provided by GIS.

With the world’s increased interest in Indian market and the potential to be a worldwide research hub, India can build on the current momentum to spread GIS and GPS use and contribute to the development of GIS and GPS. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. India, with its huge network of industries, can gain much by utilizing the potential of GIS/GPS.

The general opinion is that as the demand for GIS increases day by day, the applications of GIS in India are deviating much beyond from the benefit of Indian community. It is a sad state of affairs that corporate India is doing business to enhance and upgrade other nations GIS/GPS data, but people in India are unable to access the their own local information.

It is palpable that the growth of development of a nation would largely depend upon the ability of the decision maker to use the information available to them for optimum benefit. Hence it is high time that various societies and organizations dealing with Geomatics industry in India must come to a common platform and provide thrust to inculcate awareness of the GIS potential among cross section of people in Government or academics or industry.