India deploys drones to map villages and issue rural property cards under SVAMITVA

The central government’s SVAMITVA initiative is modernising rural land records by employing drones and Continuously Operating Reference Stations to produce accurate GIS maps of village settlements. Partnering with the Survey of India and state governments, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj uses these maps to verify boundaries, issue official property cards and create a transparent database of residential holdings. The programme also integrates the Gram Manchitra platform, allowing Gram Panchayats to view geospatial data on properties, infrastructure and natural resources for better planning.

So far, drone surveys have been completed in roughly 3.30 lakh villages, and financial institutions have granted 11,147 loans totaling Rs 1,713 crore based on the new property cards. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh disclosed these figures in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on August 5, 2026. The effort is expected to lower disputes, prevent illegal construction and improve access to credit for rural owners.