Mapping Bharat’s Hidden Wealth: Why Geospatial Must Drive the Blue and Brown Economy
For two centuries, Bharat’s economic destiny was shaped not by lack of natural resources but by lack of control over knowledge. Colonisation cut us off from modern education, scientific tools and industrial planning. We missed the first two industrial revolutions not because Bharat was resource-poor, as the evidence suggests we contributed a substantial share of global trade before colonial disruption.
Today, as the world enters a new technological turning point, geospatial science offers Bharat the chance to reclaim what was lost. If we can map every coastline, river, lake, glacier, mine and seabed with accuracy and continuity, we can finally convert natural endowment into transparent, sustainable economic power. I call this the unlocking of Bharat’s blue and brown economy.
The scale of Bharat’s blue wealth
The story begins at the shore. In 2025, India’s coastline was recalculated at about 11,099 km using improved satellite and survey methods, far higher than the long-quoted 7,516 km.
This coastline anchors our maritime identity. Beyond it lies our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a vast oceanic area where Bharat holds sovereign rights over marine resources. Depending on measurement and ongoing maritime surveys, India’s EEZ spans roughly 2.02–2.37 million sq km.
Inside the mainland, our water wealth is equally significant. India’s inland water surface, including rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs and tanks, covers about 314,400 sq km, according to inland water resource assessments. Mangroves, the ecological shock-absorbers between land and sea, spread across 4,992 sq km under the latest Forest Survey of India mapping.
Add to this the Himalayan reservoir of glaciers. The Geological Survey of India’s authoritative inventory recorded 9,575 glaciers within the Indian Himalayan region. Lakes, lagoons, brackish zones, deltas, and even ancient water structures such as bawlis and tanks make this hydrological system both culturally rooted and economically invaluable.
The brown economy: Wealth beneath our feet
Beneath this water network lies the brown economy i.e. minerals, metals, hydrocarbons and aggregates stored in open-cast mines, underground seams, hill quarries and even deep-sea exploration blocks. Much of this economic activity is poorly mapped, with fragmented geological data and limited transparency on extraction and rehabilitation. Without geospatial integration, planning remains blindfolded and monitoring becomes reactive rather than preventive.
How geospatial technology transforms these sectors
Geospatial systems are not decorative maps; they are economic and regulatory backbones. Their impact is practical, immediate and measurable:
- Accurate quantification
High-resolution satellite imagery and LIDAR make it possible to track coastline shifts, lake shrinkage, mangrove loss, glacier movement and mining scars in near real time. This creates a single, authoritative national baseline. - Long-distance water quality sensing
Spectral analysis, IoT buoys and AI-enabled modelling can track contamination in rivers and reservoirs, identify replenishment hotspots, and guide drinking-water planning. - Disaster and climate warning
Flood plains, coastal erosion zones, drought-prone basins and glacial lake risks can be continuously monitored to give advance, actionable warnings. - Soil and sediment intelligence
Erosion, deposition and riverbank instability can be mapped with precision—critical for inland waterways, agriculture and port operations. - Opportunity mapping
Geospatial scans reveal areas suited for water sports, aquaculture, shore-based industries, mineral clusters or boat-building ecosystems—from kayaks and dinghies to larger vessels and sub-systems. - Transparent mining governance
Geotagged imagery and open registries ensure mining leases are trackable, environmental obligations are visible, and royalty leakages are minimised.
A national geospatial mission for water and minerals
To truly unlock the blue and brown economies, Bharat needs a coordinated national framework:
- A continuously updated National Geospatial Water and Coastal Atlas integrating coastlines, EEZ charts, river networks, lake extents, wetlands, glaciers and deltas.
- Mandatory geotagged compliance for all coastal, riverine and mining permits with periodic satellite submissions.
- Public water-quality and hazard dashboards, allowing scientists, entrepreneurs and communities to innovate using open data.
- Dedicated geospatial technology clusters near coastlines, river basins and mining regions to nurture local manufacturing—boats, sensors, drones and monitoring systems.
The moment for Bharat
Bharat’s blue and brown endowments are immense, but until recently they remained uncounted. What we cannot count, we cannot conserve. What we cannot map, we cannot monetise. Geospatial technologies give us the ability to see our natural wealth clearly and use it responsibly.
If we choose transparency, science and local enterprise, the coming decades can correct the industrial gap we inherited. Bharat can build a future rooted not in extractive excess, but in measured, mapped and sustainable prosperity.
Written by : Vinit Goenka, Secretary, Centre for Knowledge Sovereignty (CKS)
