Govt proposes licence for maps, navigation services

In the past, many including Twitter and Google have shown parts of J&K and Arunachal as part of Pakistan or China

Companies that provide maps or navigation services  — such as MapMyIndia, search giant Google, cab aggregators Uber or Ola and navigation tool providers like TomTom — might have to get Government of India (GoI) approval.

A recent GoI proposal says individuals, companies, trusts and institutes should need a prior licence if providing maps or imaging services. To be vetted by a committee, with the penalty for a breach up to Rs 1 crore or jail for seven years, plus revocation of the licence.

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Sanket Gupta, product manager, Google Maps, said: “I am yet to go through the proposal. At Google India, we always follow the local jurisdiction and regulatory processes.” European firm TomTom that provides navigation gadgets and has an office in India, said it would not be able to comment. An e-mail to Uber did not elicit a response.

In the past, many, including Twitter and Google have shown parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan or China. Google was warned by GoI in 2005 and in 2015 for showing the Pakistan part of Kashmir as part of that country. Google’s Street View programme has also been stalled by Indian authorities due to security concerns.

Some leading companies that provide mapping and navigation services include MapMyIndia, Genesys International and MapsOf India among others. E-commerce entities such as Flipkart and Ola use MapMyIndia. With the boom in e-commerce, use of maps has become extensive in India. Most food delivery outlets and e-commerce entities use maps for delivery. These are also used extensively in high-end cars, which come with built-in navigation systems.

“At some point, the government should have stepped in. So, this is a welcome move. However, we hope this does not become a licence raj kind of scenario for the mapping services industry,” said one.

The draft regulations come at a time when India has successfully launched its own GPS satellite. Asked if Google would use the Indian satellite for mapping requirements, Gupta said: “Once the implementations details are brought out, we will study it and see if it changes anything for us.”

MAP IT CAUTIOUSLY

• GoI proposal says individuals, companies, trusts and institutes should need a prior licence if providing maps or imaging services
   
• To be vetted by a committee, with the penalty for a breach up to Rs 1 crore or jail for seven years, plus revocation of the licence
   
• In the past, Twitter and Google have shown parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan or China
   
• Google was warned by GoI in 2005 and 2015 for showing the Pakistan part of Kashmir as part of that country