Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that Indian Railways will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mappls, a homegrown navigation app developed by MapmyIndia. This move signals a strong endorsement of indigenous technology and aims to enhance railway navigation and the overall travel experience for passengers.
Vaishnaw, in a recent social media post, lauded Mappls and highlighted its advanced features, encouraging citizens to try the "Swadeshi" platform. He emphasized the app's potential within Indian Railways, indicating that the forthcoming MoU will integrate Mappls' geographic information system technology with railway operations.
Mappls is emerging as a strong alternative to Google Maps, promising a more localized, secure, and user-friendly mapping experience. The app distinguishes itself through several key features tailored to Indian conditions:
- 3D Junction Views: Mappls provides three-dimensional previews of flyovers, underpasses, and roundabouts, offering a realistic view of complex road structures. This feature aims to prevent navigation errors, particularly in areas with intricate road networks.
- Precise Doorstep Navigation: The app offers accurate navigation to specific addresses, enhancing the ease of locating destinations.
- Real-Time Driving Alerts: Mappls provides real-time alerts for speed limits, accident-prone areas, sharp curves, speed breakers, traffic signals, and CCTV camera locations, promoting safer driving.
- Trip Cost Calculator: Users can estimate fuel and toll expenses in advance, with suggestions for potential savings through NHAI Fastag Annual Pass or based on vehicle and fuel type.
- Data Sovereignty: Unlike many global apps, Mappls stores all map data and user information within India, ensuring greater data security and privacy.
- DIGIPIN Integration: MapmyIndia has partnered with India Post to integrate the DIGIPIN system, creating India's first comprehensive digital address system. DIGIPIN assigns geo-coded digital coordinates to every 3.8-square-metre block in the country, improving address precision.
- Indoor Navigation: Mappls supports indoor navigation, guiding users through multi-story buildings and complexes, a feature often lacking in global map platforms.
- Multiple Indian Languages: The app supports multiple Indian languages for ease of use across the diverse Indian population.
Vaishnaw also highlighted Mappls' ability to guide users across different floors in multi-story buildings, a feature he found particularly innovative. He praised the app for reflecting India's growing capabilities in developing world-class digital and navigation technologies.
The announcement of the MoU and Vaishnaw's endorsement have given a significant boost to Mappls, with the company reporting a tenfold increase in daily downloads. This aligns with the government's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" vision and its broader support for indigenous digital solutions. Mappls emerges as a symbol of India's growing strength in homegrown technology and innovation, offering a secure and locally relevant alternative to foreign platforms.
