New Delhi: Mr Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India today said that a lot of work is being done in the logistics space using geospatial technologies by the government and the industry is also warming up to it.
Addressing the webinar ‘Future of Geospatial Industry – Atmanirbhar Bharat: Developing World-Class Geospatial Solutions for Governance, Businesses & Citizens’, organized by FICCI, Mr Agarwal said, “I am happy to share that an RFP for a Logistics Planning and Performance Monitoring Tool (LPPT) is already underway. We are soon going to have an agency that will place the LPPT framework as an essential performance monitor for the overall logistics sector.”
Elaborating further, Mr Agarwal said that the department, over the last few months, has been trying to figure out how to transform the logistics sectors using digital technologies. “The National Logistics Portal (NPT) was essentially putting IT solutions. We revisited this idea and thought of not reinventing the wheel. We, instead, put them all together and integrated them through phases so that users can have a seamless experience,” he said.
Out of the seven areas that were identified where technology interventions can improve logistics, five use geospatial technologies, Mr Agarwal added.
“However, except for the maps that we use when we travel, its potential for use in logistics isn’t much realized,” he rued. “One of the major initiatives that we have taken up is to put together a logistics performance planning and monitoring tool that is essentially based on geospatial technology with multiple layers,” said Mr Agarwal.
Process optimization is of utmost importance to keep costs in check, said Mr Agarwal.
Mr Abhishek Singh, CEO, MyGov, and President & CEO NeGD; Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt of India said that geospatial technology has been talked about for a long time and is being used across the country. “Its potential is well known whether it be managing projects or tracking taxation,” he said.
Elaborating on Geospatial Data and Information Systems (GIS), Mr Singh said that GIS automates the process and makes the system more efficient and effective. “GIS is serving as an important decision support in ensuring that we implement all developmental programs, especially with regards to roads, education, or health, in a more transparent and a more efficient manner,” he said.
“GIS-based landbank setup by DPIIT is a testimony to the growing potential of geospatial technology. Among others, GIS has also been used for the aspirational districts’ program for map-based identification of assets. Mining surveillance has been developed to check illegal mining on the map-based platform. Every asset created under MGNREGA is geo-tagged using GIS, Mr Singh added.
Going forward, information needs to be made more robust on a GIS interface, he said.
Mr Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary (SMP Division), Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India speaking on the government’s initiatives said, “We’ve prepared a draft of Geospatial policy and soon we’ll have a stakeholder meeting to provide an enabling framework for Geospatial Industry.”
Further, Mr Kumar said that a society needs to be prepared for law or policy that is implementable. “We’re moving from a data-centric to a knowledge-centric world. The challenge will be to leave critical data to a security agency and open the remaining to the world,” he added.
Mr Prakash Kumar, Former CEO, Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) said Geospatial maps can be used by governments for quick decision making and granting new registration to taxpayers.
Mr Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia; Mr Rakesh Verma, Chair, FICCI Geospatial Technologies Committee; and Mr Rajan Aiyer, Co-Chair, FICCI Geospatial Technologies Committee also put forth their views.
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