The Indian government has just announced a major change to its geospatial mapping policy. This political move is in line with the creation of a local service capable of competing with Google Maps in India.
Earlier, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a kind of agreement, with the local private company MapmyIndia. Under the terms, the digital navigation solutions provider will provide its catalog of end-user maps, applications and services to the state organization's satellite imagery and Earth observation data server.
The purpose of the agreement, according to those responsible, is to provide Indian citizens with a national alternative for their searches and geographic location services. In addition, the arguments point to India's autonomy in relation to Google Maps.
MapmyIndia CEO attacks foreign search engines
In one post In a LinkedIn post, the CEO and executive director of MapmyIndia celebrates the agreement reached and, at the same time, claims that companies from outside the country have hidden methods of profiting from the exploitation of this type of service in India. Rohan Verma accuses foreign search engines of profiting from advertising based on the invasion of the privacy of users of their free maps. At the same time, he praises the nationalism of his company and its commitment to responsibility for the security and privacy of Indian citizens.
In the move announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government is removing restrictions on local companies' access to licenses and permits for the collection, management and storage of the country's geospatial data. In the statement, Modi says that deregulating geospatial research will help India move towards self-reliance and achieve its GDP targets.
O Google Maps has never launched its Street View in India, largely due to a lack of support from the local government. The situation for the global tech powerhouse doesn’t look set to change, however. The release of free access to geospatial data and licenses is specifically for local domestic companies.
Free access to mapping services for Indian domestic companies
According to the new guidelines, these companies India will be allowed to access information including Indian ground stations, the location of public buildings, as well as zoom services for real-time positioning. The companies would also have access to mobile land mapping surveys, street view and water surveys in India.
The new regulations also allow foreign companies to license data from Indian companies that work with digital maps and geospatial data for a set fee. However, access to the maps and geospatial data must only be made available through APIs that do not allow the licensed companies to store the information.
In the government statement, Narendra Modi added that these changes will open up space for Indian startups, as well as allow the public and private sectors and research bodies to create innovative and scalable solutions. This will also enable new technologies and platforms that can drive efficiency in agriculture and related sectors.
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. TechRadar
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