India is poised to lead the global conversation on digital land reforms and climate-aligned governance at the World Bank Land Conference 2025, being held from May 5 to 8 at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States.
A high-level Indian delegation, led by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), will present the country’s flagship SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) and Gram Manchitra platform during the international conference, which is being attended by global policymakers, experts, and development partners.
The Indian delegation also includes Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, Shailesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Surveyor General, Survey of India, and senior officials from the States of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
This year’s conference, themed “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action: Moving from Awareness to Action”, aims to examine strategies for secure land tenure, the modernization of land administration, and climate-resilient planning. India’s SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme is expected to serve as a case study in the use of drone technology and geospatial data to advance rural land ownership.
According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the scheme has so far issued property cards to over 24.4 million households across 1.6 lakh villages, covering more than 100 million property parcels. The initiative is estimated to have unlocked land value worth $1.162 trillion (approximately ₹100 lakh crore).
“The SVAMITVA Scheme is a path-breaking step in rural empowerment. It not only provides people with legal ownership of land but also supports planning and disaster mitigation,” said Vivek Bharadwaj, who will represent India as a Country Champion in the plenary session titled “Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform”. The session will highlight how the scheme contributes to women’s empowerment, dispute resolution, and secure tenure rights, in alignment with SDG Target 1.4.2.
Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, will lead a technical session on “Establishing the Land Foundation for Climate Action and Disaster Risk Management”, where India’s Gram Manchitra platform will be featured. Built on the high-resolution geospatial data generated through SVAMITVA, Gram Manchitra facilitates village-level development planning, solar energy site selection, disaster resilience, and public service delivery.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Nagar said, “Gram Manchitra exemplifies how spatial data can be used to strengthen participatory governance at the grassroots. It empowers Panchayati Raj institutions to take informed decisions with environmental and developmental foresight.”
India’s participation in the World Bank Land Conference is being seen as a major milestone in the country’s leadership on global rural land governance. In March 2025, India hosted an International Workshop on Land Governance, which drew delegates from 22 countries. The SVAMITVA initiative, in particular, received widespread interest for its digital-first, scalable model. Several nations reportedly expressed interest in adapting similar frameworks in partnership with India.
The conference in Washington features plenary sessions, regional workshops, thematic discussions, and an innovation expo, with a strong focus on promoting secure land access, geospatial technology adoption, and climate-resilient administration systems.