With the zeal to have an entire software ecosystem designed and distributed locally, India’s homegrown mapping service, MapmyIndia, has received positive views from the Indian government and prominent tech spokespersons. The company’s Mappls navigation service, which was introduced recently, is currently pitched as a domestic alternative to the Google Maps service and was recently spotted being tested by a top government official.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw personally tested the Mappls app over the weekend, publicly endorsing its quality and features. He highlighted that this kind of local technology is now competitive with—and, in some areas, equal to—global standards.
“Good features…must try,” wrote the minister in a post, which accompanied a video of Mappls actively tested in an Indian-made Mahindra SUV.
Encouraging the usage of a homegrown digital service and app, Zoho‘s CEO Sridhar Vembu, whose Arattai texting app went viral lately, reshared the post with a comment, “The Mappls app is very nice and it reflects decades of R&D, much longer than Google Maps.”
“Best wishes to Rohan Verma and the MapMyIndia team!” he added. Zoho’s Mail service was recently endorsed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who publicly acknowledged replacing his foreign mail service with Zoho Mail.
Indian government to widely adopt ‘Swadeshi’ tech
The push for Mappls by Vaishnav is moving beyond encouraging consumer use. The Minister announced that a new agreement will soon be signed between Indian Railways and Mappls. This deal will allow the app’s technology to be used within the nation’s massive railway systems, showing that homegrown innovation can power both public governance and national development.
The move also aligns directly with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) mission, which aims to encourage domestic innovation in vital sectors like digital mapping, AI, and manufacturing. By promoting Mappls, the government is focusing on two main goals: strengthening the local economy and ensuring better data security for its citizens.
What does Mappls offer
Mappls offers a strong set of smart navigation features designed to make travel easier and safer for Indian users.
– It provides exact doorstep navigation, which is often difficult for foreign apps to do in India.
– The app gives real-time alerts for dangerous accident spots and speed breakers on the road.
– It includes tools like 3D views for complex road junctions, helping drivers navigate difficult crossings.
– Users can get live updates on traffic signals, CCTV camera points, and even calculate their estimated trip costs beforehand.
