Way to go

As prices come down, a phenomenal growth awaits in the uptake of GPS navigation in India

GPS navigation, a technology that was meant for military purposes, has made strong inroads into the civilian landscape. It has been empowering the consumer across multiple platforms. We see it in PNDs (personal navigation devices), smartphones, in-car entertainment systems, laptops, tablets and the list goes on. We have updated maps, we have city views in 3D, last mile has been connected with house level and street level data. What does the future augur for GPS navigation?

The next generation of GPS navigation is going to be interactive and connected. Some innovation will also come from hardware but even this will be driven by digital maps - layering with value added services will be the new wave of evolution in this field:

Connected navigation: A new generation of devices like CarPads, tablets etc are becoming popular. With connected devices come features like real-time live traffic information and social media interface that enhance productivity on the go. With the development of support infrastructure it would be possible to know changes in traffic regulations, temporary barricading on your device in real time.

Social navigation: Recently we launched an application (Explore) which allows users to login with Facebook, pin places (which is marking a place as "been here"), add photos, write reviews, follow other users and subscribe to places. Social navigation is the way ahead. Friends can be reached, trips can be planned, all while interacting with friends on social media. This will also open up new business opportunities for related industries like tours and travel, aviation, hospitality etc.

Wearable devices: Wearable devices are already changing the way we navigate. We can see some real innovation here like car windscreens that double up as navigation screen, smart helmets that offer visual and voice guided navigation. Google Glass is a definite step towards what the future would look like.

It is 3D now but holographic (6D) navigation is something to lookout for - instead of your device screen showing 3D images, a real hologram pops out and as you move forward so does the hologram.

The prices too are coming down for smart devices, and no communication package is complete without a GPS navigation element in it. Hence I see a huge growth in the uptake of GPS navigation in India.

Rakesh Verma
Managing Director, MapmyIndia