The National Geospatial Data Registry (NGDR) is a planned national catalog that will list India’s geospatial datasets and services in one place, so users can find data held by many different agencies. Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms help these agencies organize, analyze, and publish their data, so it is ready to be listed, shared, and used.
Introduction: Why India’s Spatial Data Needs One Common Access Point
Many bodies in India make maps and location data. Under the National Geospatial Policy 2022, Survey of India looks after themes such as administrative boundaries and elevation, the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) shares responsibility for satellite imagery, and ministries look after themes such as transport, buildings, and population. Each agency keeps its data in its own systems and formats, so a planner, researcher, or startup often has to search several portals just to learn what exists.
The policy’s answer is a common access point. The National Geospatial Data Registry will list datasets and services in one catalog, and a Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI) will let users query and use them. Together, they are meant to give users one starting point instead of many.
| Aspect | Separate Agency Portals | NGDR and UGI (Planned) |
| Finding data | Search each agency’s portal separately | Search one national catalog |
| Knowing what exists | Depends on knowing which agency to ask | Datasets and services listed with their custodians |
| Where data is stored | With each agency | Still with each agency, linked through the registry |
| Using the data | Download and combine by hand | Query and process through UGI |
| Standards | Vary by agency | Common metadata and data standards |
What Is the National Geospatial Data Registry (NGDR)?
The National Geospatial Policy 2022 describes NGDR as “a commonly accessible set of registers/ catalogue of data sets and services.” In simple terms, it is a catalog. It tells users what geospatial data exists, what it covers, and which agency provides it.
The data itself does not have to move into one central store. It stays with the agencies that create it, which the policy calls Partnering Agency Data Nodes, and these agencies can still share data through their own channels. This makes NGDR more like a library catalog than a single warehouse of maps.
NGDR works alongside UGI, which the policy describes as “an electronic data querying and processing service.” UGI uses the data and metadata in NGDR to deliver products, applications, and services. NGDR helps users find data, and UGI helps them use it.
NGDR in the National Geospatial Policy 2022: GDPDC, Survey of India, and the Unified Geospatial Interface
The Union Cabinet approved the National Geospatial Policy 2022 on 16 December 2022, and it was notified on 28 December 2022. It builds on the 2021 guidelines for geospatial data, which removed the need for prior approval to collect and publish most geospatial data in India and required publicly funded data to be easily accessible. The policy goes further and treats Survey of India topographic data, and other data produced using public funds, as a common good.
The policy sets up the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC) as the national apex body for the geospatial sector, with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) as the nodal department. GDPDC replaces the National Spatial Data Committee formed in 2006, and one of its listed functions is to get NGDR and UGI operationalized. Survey of India is the agency named to develop and operate both, working with other institutions and the private sector under GDPDC’s guidance and supervision.
Implementation is moving in stages. In December 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology told Parliament that the policy’s provisions are “under different stages of implementation,” and that GDPDC and the Geospatial Industrial Development Board have been set up. Survey of India’s February 2026 presentation to the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) states that agency geoportals and their data “would further be accessed through NGDR & UGI.”
This layered design is why a shared catalog matters. The policy states that UGI will help remove duplicated efforts among national agencies such as Survey of India, NRSC, the Forest Survey of India, and the Geological Survey of India, all of which create geospatial data using public funds.
How the Registry Model Works: Fundamental Data Themes, Partnering Agency Data Nodes, and Metadata Standards
The registry rests on three building blocks: themes that organize the data, agencies that hold it, and metadata that describes it.
Fundamental Data Themes
The policy adopts the 14 Global Fundamental Geospatial Data Themes recognized by UN-GGIM as National Fundamental Geospatial Data Themes, and assigns each a nodal ministry or department. GDPDC will also develop sectoral themes for areas such as environment, forests, disaster management, and agriculture.
| Data Theme | Nodal Ministry or Department (Organization) |
| Geodetic Reference Frame | Department of Science and Technology (Survey of India) |
| Orthoimagery | Department of Science and Technology (Survey of India); Department of Space (NRSC) |
| Functional Areas (Administrative Boundaries) | Department of Science and Technology (Survey of India) |
| Geographical Names | Department of Science and Technology (Survey of India) |
| Elevation and Depth | Department of Science and Technology (Survey of India), for elevation; Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, for inland water depth; Ministry of Earth Sciences, for ocean and sea depth |
| Water | Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation |
| Transport Networks | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Ministry of Railways; Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Ministry of Civil Aviation |
| Buildings and Settlements | Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (urban); Ministry of Panchayati Raj (rural) |
| Land Cover and Land Use | Department of Space (NRSC); Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Forest Survey of India) |
| Physical Infrastructure | Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (urban); Ministry of Panchayati Raj (rural) |
| Land Parcels | Department of Land Resources (rural); Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (urban) |
| Addresses | Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (urban); Ministry of Panchayati Raj (rural) |
| Geology and Soils | Ministry of Mines (Geological Survey of India); Department of Agricultural Research and Education (National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning) |
| Population Distribution | Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner) |
Partnering Agency Data Nodes
Each nodal agency acts as a data node for its theme. Survey of India’s 2026 presentation describes each nodal agency creating its own geo-platform to manage and share its theme data, with these geoportals then reached through NGDR and UGI. The policy also allows data from academia, industry, and citizens to be accessed through NGDR and UGI on agreed terms.
Metadata Standards
To be listed, a dataset needs good metadata, the information that describes what the data is, what area it covers, how accurate it is, and who maintains it. According to the December 2025 reply in Parliament, the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) registers only metadata that follows ISO 19115 for metadata and ISO 19135 for data registration. Survey of India also reported in 2026 that ten national standards are being developed with the Bureau of Indian Standards.
The Foundation Being Built: CORS, the Administrative Boundary Database, and the National Geospatial Mission
A registry is only as useful as the data it points to, and that data must line up correctly on a map. Several pieces of this foundation are already in place or under way.
| Component | What It Provides | Current Status |
| Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) | Accurate positions for surveys and mapping | 1,145 stations (Survey of India, February 2026); 14,677 registered users by December 2025 |
| Administrative Boundary Database | Common boundaries for comparing data across areas | Version 1 created with the Office of the Registrar General of India, freely available on Survey of India’s online maps portal |
| National Geospatial Mission | Geodetic reference frame, orthorectified imagery, elevation models, and Geo-ICT infrastructure | Announced in Union Budget 2025-26 with an initial outlay of ₹100 crore; mission document being finalized as a cabinet note (March 2026) |
| Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI) | A shared interface for data access and analysis | Launched with Operation Dronagiri in November 2024; pilot version developed by IISc Bengaluru |
CORS stations help surveyors fix locations accurately, so datasets from different agencies sit in the right place on the same map. The Administrative Boundary Database does the same for boundaries, so agencies compare their data for exactly the same districts and villages.
The National Geospatial Mission will add the base layers that every other theme depends on. Operation Dronagiri, launched alongside GDI, began its first phase in five states, testing how shared geospatial data can support practical use cases before a wider rollout.
How ArcGIS Hub and Indo ArcGIS Living Atlas Support Registry-Ready Spatial Data
For an agency, being registry-ready means its data is organized, described with metadata, and easy to share. ArcGIS Hub helps agencies build open data sites that make it easy for others to find and use their data. ArcGIS Hub Basic is included with ArcGIS Online and covers data sharing and site creation, while ArcGIS Hub Premium adds features for working with teams and communities.
Indian agencies are already publishing data this way. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs built the India Urban Observatory on ArcGIS Hub as a repository of open spatial data, non-spatial data, and documents, with downloads in CSV, KML, shapefile, and GeoJSON formats. At city level, Varanasi Smart City Limited built Kashi GeoHub on ArcGIS Hub to publish open data, thematic maps, and APIs for developers.
At state level, the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) built the MahaBHUMI geo-portal as a central repository of departmental data in GIS. Its database follows the ArcGIS geodatabase scheme, and a complete metadata standard is generated along with the data. This kind of well-described, centrally managed data is exactly what a registry node depends on.
Geospatial services of this data through a decision support system for each department will be a game changer in the state, setting a new benchmark in e-Governance.
Indo ArcGIS Living Atlas adds ready-to-use India content across 100+ segments and content categories, including village, district, and postal code boundaries, demographics, population projections, and Bhuvan thematic maps. This content is curated from credible sources and verified before publishing, with updates ranging from monthly to annually.
Agencies with data in many formats can use ArcGIS Data Interoperability, which connects to hundreds of apps and data formats. It works as an extension for ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise.
Central and state agencies planning registry-ready data sharing can explore solutions for Spatial Data Infrastructure and National Government from Esri India.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Many Owners, One Catalog
The 14 fundamental themes are spread across more than a dozen ministries and departments, each with its own systems and priorities, and several themes are split between urban and rural custodians. Bringing them into one catalog needs clear rules on who updates what and how often. GDPDC’s role in assessing each lead agency through an annual performance report will be central to keeping the catalog current.
Uneven Metadata
A registry depends on metadata, but older datasets may lack basic details such as date, accuracy, or source. Since NSDI registers only metadata that meets ISO standards, these records need to be described properly before they can be listed. Adding this information takes time and trained staff, especially for agencies with large archives.
Standards Still Taking Shape
National standards for the data themes are still being developed with the Bureau of Indian Standards. Until they are in place, agencies may use different formats, classifications, or coordinate systems, which makes their data harder to combine. Common standards will decide how smoothly data moves through UGI once it goes live.
Waiting on the Foundation
Much of the base data, including the reference frame, imagery, and elevation models, depends on the National Geospatial Mission. As of March 2026, the mission document was still being finalized as a cabinet note. The registry will become more useful as this foundation is completed and the base layers reach every theme owner.
India already holds a large and growing body of geospatial data, from survey reference stations to city open data portals, but much of it is still hard to find unless you know exactly where to look. The National Geospatial Data Registry aims to change that by making publicly funded data easier to find, trust, and use, while leaving it with the agencies that know it best. For planners, researchers, and businesses, that can mean less time searching for data and more time using it to make decisions.
FAQs
1.What is the National Geospatial Data Registry (NGDR)?
NGDR is a planned national catalog of geospatial datasets and services under the National Geospatial Policy 2022. It will help users find what data exists and which agency holds it, while the data stays with the agencies that create it.
2.What is the difference between NGDR and the Unified Geospatial Interface (UGI)?
NGDR is the catalog that lists datasets and services. UGI is the service that lets users query and process that data to build products and applications.
3.Who will develop and operate the National Geospatial Data Registry?
The policy names Survey of India as the agency responsible for developing and operating NGDR and UGI. It will work under the guidance and supervision of the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee, with the Department of Science and Technology as the nodal department.
4.Is the National Geospatial Data Registry the same as the National Geoscience Data Repository?
No. The National Geoscience Data Repository is a portal for geoscience data from the Ministry of Mines, launched in December 2023. The National Geospatial Data Registry is a separate catalog planned under the National Geospatial Policy 2022.
5.How does the National Geospatial Policy 2022 make geospatial data easier to access?
The policy treats data produced using public funds as a common good and plans a single catalog and query service for it. It builds on the 2021 guidelines, which removed the need for prior approval for most geospatial data and required publicly funded data to be easily accessible.
Written by
Esri India Marketing
