Bhuvan Geoportal: How Satellite Data Is Reimagining Development at the Grassroots
When Bhuvan first emerged in 2009, it appeared to be a straightforward Indian alternative to GIS mapping virtual globe platforms. Most people used it to view satellite images and basic maps of the country. Over the years, without much fanfare, the platform has evolved into something quite different. It now sits at the center of a wide network of government programs and is used as a common reference point for planning, monitoring, and routine administrative work.
At its simplest, Bhuvan is a portal that brings together imagery from Indian Remote Sensing satellites, terrain data, administrative boundaries, and layers on land use, water, and infrastructure. The content focuses on India and is available in several Indian languages. As the platform evolved, ISRO added specialised sections for rural development, housing, watershed work, disaster management, and other sectors. What began as a viewing tool has slowly turned into a space where different departments can see their areas of work in one place.
A clear example of this is Bhuvan Panchayat. It is part of the Space-based Information Support for Decentralized Planning program, which created a very large-scale database for the whole country at a 1:10,000 scale. This includes land use, drainage lines, settlements, and transport networks. Version 4.0, released in June 2024, makes these layers easier to access for Panchayats preparing annual development plans. A team sitting in a Gram Panchayat office can look at satellite-based layers while discussing where to build a new check dam or how to realign a rural road. Decisions that once depended mainly on memory or rough sketches now have clearer spatial backing.
The link between satellite data and day-to-day development is especially visible in MGNREGA. Bhuvan MGNREGA allows works created under the scheme to be geotagged and displayed on satellite basemaps. A grid view shows the spread of different asset types across the country. Officials can quickly see which regions have several water harvesting structures and which ones have very few. This helps them understand patterns that are not always obvious through ground reports alone.
The Yuktdhara portal, also running on Bhuvan infrastructure, supports local planning further by combining multiple spatial layers with simple GIS tools. The National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) has also introduced mobile tools that help bring Bhuvan’s data into the field. These applications allow frontline staff to take photographs, capture coordinates, and upload basic site information to Bhuvan servers. They are used in programs that require field verification, including watershed development and other rural development activities. In practice, a field worker can record the location of a worksite and send that information to a national system, giving officials at different levels a clearer view of ongoing projects.
Bhuvan also plays an important role in disaster management. There are separate interfaces for floods, cyclones, droughts, forest fires, landslides, and earthquakes. Products such as the Landslide Atlas of India help officials understand vulnerable areas. These layers support district administrations as they prepare for events, coordinate response, or assess damage afterwards.
Parliamentary responses in recent years show that state departments are using these tools regularly. A reply in the Rajya Sabha in August 2025 noted that several departments in Jharkhand accessed 1:10,000-scale land use and land cover data from Bhuvan Panchayat for their work. The Department of Space does not track how each layer is used, but the interest itself shows how satellite data is becoming part of routine planning and monitoring.
For local teams, the strength of Bhuvan lies in its ability to put multiple pieces of information in front of them at once. A Panchayat preparing its MGNREGA plan can look at drainage, settlement growth, and existing assets together. A district official can compare progress on PMAY Urban houses with recent imagery. These are ordinary decisions that benefit from seeing the bigger spatial picture.
There are still challenges. Many Panchayat offices do not have staff who are comfortable with GIS tools. Internet connectivity is inconsistent in several rural locations. And while Bhuvan hosts large-scale land-related datasets, these do not replace formal land records.
Even with these hurdles, the shift is underway. Bhuvan shows how satellite data can move out of technical circles and into the everyday work of development administration. As states invest more in training, connectivity, and clearer processes, these tools can support more grounded and spatially aware decisions in villages and towns across India.
References
- Press Information Bureau
- https://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/home/index.php
- https://www.isro.gov.in/DisasterManagementSupport.html
- https://bhuvan-panchayat3.nrsc.gov.in/
- https://nregaplus.nic.in/Netnrega/Data/GeoMGNREGA_FAQ_English_22Nov2016.pdf
- https://bhuvan-app2.nrsc.gov.in/planner_v3/plannerhome.php
- https://indianmasterminds.com
Raj Kashyap Das – Knowledge & Insights Coordinator, Sambodhi
