Operation Dronagiri & Integrated Geospatial Data Interface (GDI) -

Launched by: Ministry of Science and Technology (India).
Framework: Part of National Geospatial Policy 2022, aiming to democratize geospatial data and build a “geospatial-ready” India.
Objective: Liberalize geospatial data access, enhance infrastructure, and foster innovation for socio-economic growth.

Definition: Information tied to geographic locations (e.g., satellite imagery, GPS coordinates, census data, social media tags).
Significance:
- Critical for urban planning, disaster management, agriculture, defense, and logistics.
- Recognized as National Infrastructure due to its role in governance and economic development.

Managed by: Geospatial Innovation Cell (GIC), Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Purpose: Pilot project to demonstrate geospatial technology’s potential in:
- Citizen Services: Healthcare, education, and disaster response.
- Ease of Doing Business: Streamlining land records, logistics, and industrial site selection.
Phase 1 Implementation:
- States: Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra.
- Focus Areas:
  - Agriculture: Precision farming using soil health maps and satellite-based irrigation advisories.
  - Urban Development: Smart city planning with 3D mapping and traffic management.
  - Disaster Resilience: Flood modeling, landslide risk zones, and early warning systems.
  - Land Records: Digitizing cadastral maps to resolve property disputes.

Role: Centralized platform for sharing and accessing geospatial datasets across government, private, and public sectors.
Features:
- Interoperability: Integrates data from diverse sources (ISRO, Survey of India, private drones, IoT sensors).
- Open Access: Freely available datasets for startups, researchers, and citizens (with privacy safeguards).
- Analytics Tools: AI/ML modules for predictive modeling (e.g., crop yield, urban sprawl).
Benefits:
- Reduces duplication of data collection efforts.
- Accelerates decision-making in sectors like healthcare (disease tracking) and infrastructure (road network optimization).

Economic Growth:
- Expected to add $20–30 billion to India’s GDP by 2030 through efficient resource management.
- Boosts geospatial startups (e.g., drone mapping, GIS analytics).
Social Impact:
- Healthcare: Mapping disease outbreaks (e.g., malaria hotspots in Assam).
- Education: Identifying underserved regions for school construction.
Global Positioning: Aligns with UN’s Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) to meet SDGs.

Government: Survey of India, ISRO, NIC, state governments.
Private Sector: Drone startups (e.g., ideaForge), GIS firms (e.g., ESRI India).
Academia: IITs, NITs, and regional universities for skill development.

Data Privacy: Balancing open access with sensitive data protection (e.g., military installations).
Standardization: Harmonizing data formats from disparate sources.
Skill Gaps: Need for trained geospatial professionals (target: 100,000 specialists by 2025).

Phase 2: Expand to all states, integrate real-time data from drones and satellites.
Policy Support: Incentivize private sector participation via tax breaks and R&D grants.
Global Collaboration: Partner with agencies like NASA, ESA for advanced earth observation.

Operation Dronagiri & Integrated Geospatial Data Interface (GDI)