The Evolution of GIS in India: From Map Printing to AI & ML Integration
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have undergone a remarkable transformation in India over the past three decades. This evolution not only reflects the technological advancements in the field but also showcases the growing realization of the critical role GIS plays in decision-making, planning, and problem-solving across industries. Here's a closer look at this journey, the milestones it has achieved, and the challenges that still remain. The 1990s: The Era of Digitization Without Attributes The 1990s marked the inception of GIS in India. During this period, organizations focused primarily on the digitization of maps. However, this digitization was often limited to creating spatial representations of data without incorporating attributes—key descriptive details about features on the map. The primary objective during this era was to expedite the map printing process, and while this was a significant step forward, the absence of attributes meant that these maps lacked the depth ne...