GIS Enabling Land Record Digitization in India

Unclear land titles, missing records, and inaccurate or outdated data – these problems have plagued land administration in India for a long time, often leading to disputes over ownership and boundaries. The lack of reliable digital records makes it difficult for landowners to access institutional credit and government subsidies or sell their land smoothly.
The solution lies in the digitization of land records, which promises security, efficiency, and empowerment to the landowners. Digitization of land records also makes the process of land administration more streamlined, facilitating more effective and transparent decision-making. With precise information on land ownership, use, and boundaries, private stakeholders and government agencies alike can plan urban development, carry out land acquisitions, and resolve land conflicts more efficiently.
Digitizing land records also significantly enhances urban property tax management. Easier identification and more accurate assessment of properties help in reducing tax evasion and boosting revenue collection.

Conducive Government Initiatives
The Government of India has been proactively assisting States and Union Territories (UTs) in digitizing land records. The Government has spent heavily on the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) initiative to modernize the management of land records to minimize the scope of land/property disputes and enhance transparency in the land records maintenance system.
Launched in 2016, significant progress has been made under DILRMP. Around 95% of land records have been computerized, covering over 6.26 lakh villages. Digitization of cadastral maps has reached 68.02% at the national level. Additionally, 87% of Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) have been integrated with land records. The Government has extended DILRMP until 2025-26, adding new features like Aadhaar-based integration with land records and computerization of revenue courts.
Technology adoption has been a key driver behind these success stories, and the use of the right technology at the right time has made a significant difference. When technology is thoughtfully aligned with real needs and local conditions, it transforms from a tool into a catalyst for meaningful change. This is what we must always strive to achieve.

Leveraging Technology for Smarter, Faster Results
The Government of India is leading a transformative shift in land governance, with a strong emphasis on improving the transparency and accessibility of land information. By leveraging modern technologies like geospatial mapping and unique land parcel identification, it has achieved success in establishing a more organized and efficient approach to managing land records. Projects like SVAMITVA and DILRMP have already demonstrated the benefits of using tools like Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in rural land management. By extending these reforms to urban settings, the recently launched NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) program aims to streamline land governance, promote sustainable urban development, and enhance the ease of living for urban citizens.
A well-structured GIS-based data model is essential for an efficient land records management system. It ensures seamless integration with existing land records, enhances accuracy, and improves operational efficiency. A standardized data model supports scalability, automation, and interoperability, making it easier for state agencies to manage and update land records efficiently.
Implementing a GIS-based land management system enhances land records by:

Accurate demarcation of land parcels: Drone surveys and GIS mapping provide high-precision boundary delineation, eliminating overlapping claims and disputes. Advanced spatial analysis ensures that ownership boundaries match cadastral records, making legal verification seamless.

Linking ownership with GIS-based parcel maps (record of rights with cadastral maps): Digital ownership records are linked with cadastral maps, improving transparency and accessibility. State governments can integrate land records with unique property identification numbers (ULPINs), allowing authorities and landowners to track property details efficiently.

Maintaining historical land records: Digitized historical ownership records ensure legal clarity, preventing fraudulent claims. Tools like ArcGIS Parcel Fabric allow tracking of land modifications over time, improving transparency in ownership history and property transfers. Users can also check their historical changes on the map.
Thus, it is evident that by leveraging GIS for assessment, parcel mapping, and public information access, local governments can achieve greater efficiency, accuracy, and transparency, leading to more equitable property taxation, improved public trust, and better decision-making. With the right approach, local governments can modernize their land records systems, creating a valuable resource that evolves with the community.

Use of AI/ML
AI and Machine Learning can also play a transformative role in the digitization of land records. AI-powered workflows can make the process faster and more accurate. Deep learning pretrained models can be used to extract features from raw data, such as detecting trees, digitizing building footprints, or generating land-cover maps.

Building footprint models can significantly enhance land record management by providing accurate, up-to-date information about built-up structures on land parcels. By integrating GIS with advanced feature extraction algorithms, we can create precise digital representations of buildings in both 2D & 3D, which can then be seamlessly incorporated into existing land information systems. This integration enables more accurate property valuation for taxation purposes, facilitates the identification of unpermitted construction or encroachments, improves emergency response planning, and supports urban development analysis.

Additionally, when combined with historical imagery, building footprint data can help document structural changes over time, creating a more comprehensive and transparent land records system that benefits both government agencies and property owners. The addition of 3D capabilities further enhances these benefits by capturing building heights, roof geometries, and volumetric data, enabling more precise property assessments, improved visualization for planning purposes, and advanced analysis of sunlight exposure, line-of-sight, and regulatory compliance for height restrictions.

Budget Allocations & Policy Interventions
Encouraging policies and strategic investments are vital elements of any successful state or national initiative. The Government has allocated ₹100 crore for the National Geospatial Mission. The mission aims to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data, which will play a crucial role in initiatives related to modernizing land records, urban planning, infrastructure design, and more. Such steps will ensure that the benefits extend to more functions and regions at a faster pace to make a bigger difference.
Using geospatial technologies like GIS, every state can establish a transparent, automated, and scalable land records system that supports rural and urban communities, inter-departmental coordination, and large-scale infrastructure development. Such robust systems have the potential to establish a solid foundation for economic growth, social equity, and sustainable development, driving the realization of the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047′ vision.

Written by – Shri Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India