‘Transformative’ SVAMITVA Scheme In Spotlight At World Bank Land Conclave

India’s leadership in digital land reforms and its commitment to South-South collaboration will be central to the global dialogue on scalable and people-centric land solutions. Sessions will highlight the best practices and operational strategies, among others

A high-level Indian delegation is set to present its transformative SVAMITVA Scheme and Gram Manchitra platform at the World Bank Land Conference 2025, taking place at the World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C.

The delegation, to be led by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), will present its flagship SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme at two key sessions.

This year’s conference themed “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action: Moving from Awareness to Action”, has brought together global leaders, policymakers, experts and development partners to explore strategies for securing land tenure, modernizing land administration for sustainable development and climate-responsive governance.

SVAMITVA Scheme provides legal ownership of rural properties using drones and geospatial technology, property cards to over 24.4 million households across 1.6 lakh villages, mapping over 100 million property parcels and unlocking an estimated $1.162 trillion in land value. SVAMITVA Scheme will be spotlighted as a transformative model of rural empowerment through drone mapping, high-accuracy geospatial data, and platforms like Gram Manchitra for climate-aligned planning. With applications in tax administration, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness, SVAMITVA exemplifies inclusive, tech-driven governance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed over 65 lakh property cards on January 18 under SVAMITVA Scheme to property owners in over 50000 villages in more than 230 districts across 10 States and two Union territories. He cited a United Nations study that revealed many people in various countries do not have proper legal documents for their property. He added that the UN emphasized that reducing poverty requires people to have property rights.

India’s leadership in digital land reforms and its commitment to South-South collaboration will be central to the global dialogue on scalable and people-centric land solutions. The conference agenda includes high-level plenary sessions, regional workshops, thematic exchanges, and an innovation expo, all focused on accelerating secure land access, modernizing land administration systems, and driving climate-responsive governance. Sessions will highlight best practices, operational strategies, and cutting-edge research to scale up reforms in land tenure, promote the use of geospatial technologies, and build resilience in the face of climate challenges.

Panchayat Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj will represent India as a Country Champion in the plenary session on “Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform” wherein SVAMITVA Scheme’s impact on rural property rights, women’s empowerment, and dispute resolution, contributing to global discussions on SDG Target 1.4.2 (Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and type of tenure) will be discussed.

Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will lead a technical session on “Establishing the Land Foundation for Climate Action and Disaster Risk Management” wherein India's Gram Manchitra platform, which utilizes SVAMITVA’s high-resolution spatial data to support village-level planning, solar energy site selection, disaster mitigation and rural development will be showcased.

India’s participation in the 2025 World Bank Land Conference marks a significant milestone in global rural land governance. India hosted a six-day international workshop on land governance in March with delegates from 22 countries, where SVAMITVA drew strong interest for its digital mapping and geospatial approach, with several nations expressing intent to collaborate. (PIB)