The SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) is an organization that planned government undertakings of entitlement documents of property of dwelling units of rural households in India. It was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2020 and helped the villagers get the property cards so they could unlock the opportunity for economic growth and procurement of financial stability for the growth of rural civilization. By using modern equipment such as drones and GIS maps, the government is developing valid land data intending to solve the problem of land issues, increasing access to finance, and supporting decentralization.
About SVAMITVA Scheme
The benefits of livelihood of the people in rural areas are provided through property ownership documents under the SVAMITVA scheme which gives property cards.
Initiated on 24th April 2020 its purpose is to identify rural land through the use of drones and GIS maps.
Thus, we have formulated the scheme to assist the rural people because the establishment of legal ownership permits entitles the people to their piece of land.
The implementation involves a multi-step process:
MoU signed between Survey of India with the state government.
Inclusive of the survey of the areas that comprise a village is often conducted using drones, satellite images, and ground surveys.
Production of adequate and precise maps and GIS database of every village.
Issuance of property cards after map validation accompanied by a dispute.
Rural households: In the villages, residents attain proper legal identification of their properties to use them for borrowing financial facilities, hence enhancing financial inclusion.
Gram Panchayats: Thus with a correct record of the land, Panchayats can even collect taxes, increase their authority for local administration, and solve problems of encroachment.
Farmers and Small Businesses: Small businesses as well as agricultural activities have been enhanced under the scheme and property rights give financial security.
The established SVAMITVA scheme can help unleash activity of over Rs 100 lakh crore, as per the statement of PM Shri Narendra Modi.
There are various ways through which the newly obtainable titles would benefit the property owners. Such include the provision of loans to improve their businesses and establish small businesses within the areas thus stimulating the local economy.
It also assists in solving disputes causing conflicts over land and enhances rural development and the property sector in villages.
The scheme has been implemented in stages where pilot implementation has been implemented across continued states.
As of 2025, over 3.17 lakh villages have been surveyed using drone technology, covering 92% of the target villages.
The initiative has made significant progress, with a total of 67,000 sq.km of rural land surveyed, valued at Rs. 132 lakh crore.
The Indian government aims to document the effectiveness of the SVAMITVA scheme to be presented at workshops and conferences in the next three years, 2025. This will promote international cooperation in the area of land governance and put India’s success stories in the aspect of rural development into the global business.
SVAMITVA is a new game-changing scheme that has been launched to enhance the ownership rights of property and the economic development of villages in India. With such benefits in mind, such as the utilization of advanced technologies such as drones and GIS mapping, it can transform the system of land records and also strengthen local administration as well as the preliminary motor for the development of the country’s economy. Through more than 3,17,118 surveyed villages and over millions’ property cards issued, the scheme is going to achieve the target of coverage in every state of the country along with setting an example in the context of global land governance.