Chairman of the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee of the Department of Science and Technology, Srikant Sastri, highlighted the rapid growth of geospatial data and the critical need to integrate data across sectors to unlock its full potential. Addressing the inaugural session of the Bharat Space Conclave 2026 in New Delhi, Mr Shastri said that a key challenge in India is that data is stored in separate silos across sectors such as space, geospatial, drones, private industry, government agencies, and research institutions. He added that breaking data silos is key for India to unlock growth and achieve its 30 trillion dollar economy goals by 2047.
He further noted that PM GatiShakti is an example of successful data integration and the platform hosts around seventeen hundred data layers and is used by government agencies in sectors such as transportation, logistics, and infrastructure for project planning. Mr Sastri also highlighted Operation Dronagiri, where integrating data from multiple sources allowed 26 thousand farmers in Varanasi to receive personalised Rabi crop season advisories, demonstrating the clear benefits of breaking data silos. The conclave was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry under the theme Towards a 40 Billion Space and Geospatial Ecosystem: Technology, Policy, and Industry Collaboration.
