PUNE: GIS maps of properties would soon be an integral part of their registration process across India.These maps would replace the decades-old practice of describing plot boundaries using cardinal directions and nearby landmarks, senior officials of the central land registration department told TOI. The Center is in talks with all state governments, including Maharashtra, to roll out Geographic Information System (GIS)-based property registration soon.
The aim of the new system is to ensure that every real estate transaction is digitally linked to an accurately mapped plot of land. Currently, title deeds typically describe boundaries by directions such as east or west and references to adjacent survey numbers, roads or buildings, without being connected to a spatial database.
“Eventually, every transaction should be visible on the GIS. We have initiated discussions with states, including Maharashtra, on how this can be implemented on the ground,” secretary of the ministry of land registration Manoj Joshi told TOI, adding that the nationwide rollout was expected to take about two years.Necessary legal provisions should be made to make the proposed system operational. In addition, a robust GIS-compatible registration software platform must be developed. States will then be able to implement a modern, GIS-layered registration platform that integrates land ownership details, footprint building, and multi-agency data.
These systems will initially be supported by high-resolution satellite images with an accuracy of at least 30 cm, until new ground-level resurvey maps are ready. “The Center has sought the involvement of the GIS industry to more actively guide governments during the transition,” Joshi said.
He said no state is yet fully proficient in the technology and everyone should work to build the required capacity. Stressing the importance of accurate mapping, Joshi said land and real estate transactions support a substantial portion of India’s economic activity, making reliable and accurate documentation crucial. Tax departments in several states have been told to prioritize systems that help citizens conduct transactions safely and efficiently.
Maharashtra revenue department officials said the Centre’s directions would help replace the existing descriptive registration system and ensure that every transaction would be linked to a mapped plot. “Once sale deeds are linked to GIS maps, ambiguities over boundaries will reduce significantly, bringing greater certainty in real estate transactions,” said a senior tax official.
Maharashtra previously pushed for a similar reform. In 2023, the state government proposed to include maps instead of cardinal directions in title deeds and appointed a committee to submit its recommendations. Because 2024 was an election year, there was little progress on implementation.
The Center also flagged continued problems in several states, particularly delays in procurement of modern research equipment such as rovers. Investing in such equipment was more cost-effective than maintaining large research teams, Joshi said, urging states to implement faster and more streamlined procurement processes.
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