Delhi, 4 May (H.S.): A high-level Indian delegation will present its innovative SVAMITVA Scheme and Gram Manchitra platform at the World Bank Land Conference 2025, scheduled for May 5-8 at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Led by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the team includes officials from the Ministry and representatives from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. They will showcase the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme, which aims to secure land tenure and enhance land governance. This year’s conference theme, “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action: Moving from Awareness to Action,” emphasizes strategies for sustainable land administration and climate-responsive governance.
The SVAMITVA Scheme uses drones and geospatial technology to provide legal ownership to rural properties, issuing property cards to over 24.4 million households and unlocking approximately $1.162 trillion in land value. The scheme, noted for its transformative impact on rural empowerment, facilitates applications in tax administration and disaster preparedness using high-accuracy geospatial data.
India’s leadership in digital land reforms aligns with the conference agenda, which features plenary sessions and workshops focused on modernizing land systems and improving climate resilience. The discussions will include best practices and cutting-edge strategies to enhance land tenure and leverage geospatial technologies for inclusive land solutions, strengthening India’s role in the global dialogue on land issues.
Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will represent India as a Country Champion in the Plenary Session focused on “Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform.” The session will highlight the impact of the SVAMITVA Scheme on rural property rights, women’s empowerment, and dispute resolution, contributing to discussions on SDG Target 1.4.2, which addresses secure land tenure rights.
Additionally, Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will lead a Technical Session titled “Establishing the Land Foundation for Climate Action and Disaster Risk Management.” This session will showcase India’s Gram Manchitra platform, leveraging SVAMITVA’s high-resolution spatial data for effective village-level planning, solar energy site selection, disaster mitigation, and rural development.
India’s involvement in the 2025 World Bank Land Conference represents a significant advancement in global rural land governance. Earlier, in March 2025, India organized a six-day International Workshop on Land Governance participated by delegates from 22 countries. There, SVAMITVA’s innovative digital mapping and geospatial techniques garnered considerable interest, leading numerous nations to express a desire for collaboration. This marks India’s commitment to enhancing rural land governance and fostering international partnerships in land tenure and management.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
