Context

In an attempt to compete with Google Maps, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has partnered with digital mapping and navigation technology solutions provider MapmyIndia to launch an Indian Maps alternative.

About

What are Indian map alternatives?

• As part of this partnership, MapMyIndia’s end user maps, apps and services will now integrate with ISRO’s catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data.
  • MapMyIndia began in 1992, with an aim to enhance India’s map-making capabilities.
  • MapmyIndia’s maps cover 7.5 lakh Indian villages, 7500+ cities at street and building-level, connected by 63 lakh kilometers of road network pan India and within cities.
• The service would be a “privacy-centric” option, compared to “foreign map apps and solutions”.
• It will enable ISRO and MapmyIndia to jointly identify and build a holistic geospatial portal utilising earth observation datasets, 'NavIC', Web Services and APIs (application programming interface) available in MapmyIndia, 'Bhuvan', 'VEDAS' and 'MOSDAC' geoportals.

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System also known as NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), is an indigenous navigation system, developed by ISRO.

• Users will be able to see mapping data along with information about weather, pollution, agricultural output, land-use changes, flood and landslide disasters etc.

Geospatial Portals

• Bhuvan is the national geo-portal developed and hosted by ISRO comprising geospatial data, services, and tools for analysis.
• VEDAS (Visualisation of Earth observation Data and Archival System) is an online geoprocessing platform that uses optical, microwave, thermal, and hyperspectral EO data covering applications particularly meant for academia, research and problem solving
• MOSDAC (Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre) is a data repository for all the meteorological missions of ISRO and deals with weather-related information, oceanography, and tropical water cycles.