India's new mapping policy can be a game-changer SECTIONS Share Synopsis An industry estimate quoted by officers of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) says businesses in the sector are now valued at about Rs 30,000 crore and could touch Rs 1 lakh crore by 2029. A large chunk of newer business will emanate from mining and real estate, which surveyors and mapmakers have so far ducked because of the hassles in securing approval. Related In 2008, when Google Map Maker was about to be launched in India, Lalitesh Katragadda, cofounder of Google India, got a warning from his legal counsel. Since the laws around mapmaking in India were ambiguous and as Katragadda was the face of the launch, there was a small chance, the lawyer told him, that he might end up in jail. “The counsel said if that happened, she would get me out in four days.