NOIDA: Geographic Information System (GIS) Software & Solutions provider Esri India has launched GIS Academia Council of India. The council will serve as a platform for GIS knowledge sharing aimed at encouraging GIS adoption and promoting teaching excellence in spatial data management and analysis in higher education across India.

Universities like IIT Delhi, JNU, SP Pune University, Symbiosis institute of Geoinformatics, UPES, CEPT, BITS Pilani, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIEST, PEC, Manipal University-Jaipur, Sarsuna college and MG Kashi Vidyapeeth have become the members of the council.

Commenting on the council, Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India said, “GIS Academia Council of India will drive the adoption of GIS in the country through the universities and colleges. With access to the latest Esri technology and the new innovations in the GIS domain, the council members will be able to strengthen the GIS community in India.”

Prof A K Gosain, IIT Delhi, commented, “Key to success of Geospatial industry is to promote sustained interaction between the academia and the industry so as to develop and popularize geospatial solutions to address real-life problems.”

Dr T P Singh Professor and Director, Symbiosis Institute of Geo-informatics said, “Capacity Building is a core of Geospatial Technology Development. I trust that GIS Academia council will able to provide innovative and scalable model to include the Geospatial technology at the school level in the education system and percolate down into the bottom level of the governance.”

Esri India has been supporting the academia through training the resources and equipping them with the GIS know-how. Esri has a global focus on education and as part of the council the members will be able to interact with global academicians associated with Esri.