In light of Survey of India being the premier mapping organisation of India, can you tell us some of the latest strategic, technical and operational initiatives?
The Survey of India (SoI) has taken several initiatives in recent past. Strategically, it has invited the private sector to join hands in a working model where SoI will be providing basic data and help in getting required clearances and industry will be working on value addition, packaging and sales of the products. The private sector, in turn, will be paying a royalty to Survey of India at a fixed rate. In technical initiatives, SoI has a number of initiatives worth mentioning. It will be completing the total digitization of 1:50,000 scale toposheets by December of 2003.

With the liberalization of digital data, it will soon be possible for SoI to take initiatives in digital domain. SoI also has plans to update the topographic base with the help of remote sensing and soft photogrammetry in next two years. SoI is also taking up projects of national priorities such as interlinking of rivers and hydro-electrical projects. On operational side, we are training people with new technology and new methods of field work and to develop products of digital nature. Shift from printed maps to digital data is the key objective.

Along with data generation and maintenance, what are the initiatives that helps to disseminate/market the data you generate?
Our initiative to work closely with industry will help our presence felt in the market. The whole idea behind collaborating with the private sector is to utilise their expertise and potential in value addition, packaging and sales as per user needs. Data dissemination and spread needs focussed market oriented research and strategies which is exactly what we are looking at when we join hands with the open market sector i.e., the industry.

What is your idea about 'data ownership' in the context of NSDI?
In the context of NSDI, 'data ownership' shall always lie with data producer. It will be their protocol to be followed for the purpose of dissemination, etc. NSDI shall only guide the data seeker to the range of data available. However, the data shall need to follow certain basic standards to be disseminated through NSDI. There may also be some advantages with the new map policy in place.

What has been the role of SoI as to help mature and train the market about GIS and spatial sciences (especially within and beyond the government sector)?
At present, it is difficult for SoI to get the feel of GIS market as a whole and convert its data accordingly. However, if there is a consensus, SoI can look into this matter. In terms of helping the market mature, I think the fact that SoI will be providing digital database which can be GIS ready, is a latent step in enabling the GIS market. There is potential for the industry to convert these digital data into GIS platform considering different applications.

Can you elaborate the process of data updating and accuracy control in SoI?
Updating of data was not given due priority primarily because of the nature of procedures that were manual. Now with the availability of digital data, remote sensing and soft photogrammetry, it will be comparatively easy to update the data. As far as accuracy is concerned, SoI is known for the accuracy of its data and is perhaps a standard in itself.

Do you visualize a scenario where SoI can act as an independent organization? SoI can be more self-sustaining if it is given more decision making power regarding its human resources, pricing of its products and matters pertaining to public-private partnerships. SoI in these terms can propel changes that are required in the growing open market.