Backdrop

Since the 1960s, Geospatial Information or Geospatial Technology has undergone a sea change, that is, from a specialized tool of analyses to a multi-purpose tool capable of not just analysis but also storage, management and visualization of data.

The integration of GIT with a powerful medium like Internet has not only changed the way we analyse geographical information but also the way we live and function. Today, GIT has spread its wings far and wide. Its applications range from defence, management of natural resources, utilities and infrastructure management, to emergency planning and relief operations, governance, urban development etc.Hence, keeping the popularity of GIT for multifarious applications in perspective, one can safely say that GIT will not only power the businesses of tomorrow but will also become a formidable driving force for the global economy in the coming decades.

Vision

Map World Forum will not just be a conference. It will be a forum that will simply aim to “Converge Ideas and Expand Horizons for Sustainable Planet Earth”. It will aim beyond speeches and discussions to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives.

Its mission, therefore, will be to encourage the geospatial family and the society at large to function in ways that protect the Earth's natural environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.
Message

KAPIL SIBAL
Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
Government of India

Geographic Information Science and Technology have witnessed great degree of advancements in the last couple of decades. The relevance of use and applicability has influenced every sphere of human activity, contributing to the developmental initiatives worldwide. Today, significant attention is being given to the use of the various types of geographic information as more than 80 percent of local government operations involve location related issues, making the use of GIS, a salient feature in governance.

India has a rich tradition of scientific and technical know how in the field of surveying and mapping, with Survey of India, one of the oldest Government set up (founded in the year 1767) being the torch bearer in the surveying and mapping in the region. Amongst the several milestones of surveying in this country, an adventurous and gigantic accomplishment has been “The Great Arc of Meridian”, which began in the year 1802 and was completed in 1852. It was the trigonometrically measuring of width and breadth of the Indian Sub-Continent. This feat is today considered to be equivalent to sending man-mission to moon, in the mid twentieth century.