Open Source GIS Day & National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02)
About the Open Source GIS Day
The Open Source GIS Day is an initiative of the FOSSEE project, IIT Bombay, to celebrate the contribution made by the enablers, contributors, and practitioners (students, faculty, institutions, government organizations, industry professionals) of open source geospatial communities in India and across the world. The Open Source GIS Day is perceived to be an annual event observed on September 15th starting last (2024) year, which shall showcase key developments and achievements accomplished by different stakeholders of Open Source-based Geospatial communities. This year (2025), due to logistical reasons, the Open Source GIS Day celebrations were pre-poned to 17 July 2025. As a part of this year’s Open Source GIS Day celebrations, the FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT) project organized the distribution of awards for the winners of the National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02). There are 23 categories of awards. The National Award for Women of Excellence in Geospatial Science and Technology, National Geospatial Leadership Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award were initiated this year.
The FOSSEE project promotes the usage of various Free/Open Source Software in academia and industry, all in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP2020). The GIS vertical of the FOSSEE project conducts activities like IIT Bombay FOSSEE Geospatial Mapathon (the world’s biggest geospatial mapping challenge), National Geospatial Internships & Summer Fellowships, GIS Summer/Winter Schools, GIS-based thematic Faculty Development Programs, Interdisciplinary Geospatial Hackathon(s), Brainstorming sessions, Open Source based GIS Product Development, GIS Case Studies, Designing Geospatial Curriculum, GIS-centric job-fair, Open Source Geospatial Knowledge Centres, Open Source GIS Cohorts, National Geospatial Awards to honor the best talent (Faculty, Students, Institution, Startup, Government agencies) in the geospatial field, etc. It is to be noted that all the initiatives (https://www.iitb.ac.in/iit-bombay-fossee-gis-activities-calendar-year-2025) of the FOSSEE GIS project mandate the use of Indian satellite data, solving India-specific problem statements, the use of Free/Open Source software, adherence to the National Geospatial Policy 2022, and the Indian Space Policy 2023, etc. The ultimate aim is to provide an opportunity for everyone with niche project offerings covering all the states and union territories of India.
To date, more than 10,000+ qualified teams spanning 1,000+ UGC/AICTE-recognized institutions have participated in FOSSEE GIS’s flagship Geospatial Mapathon activity covering all states and union territories in India. All of them were encouraged to use data only from NRSC’s MOSDAC, Bhuvan, and VEDAS portals. The National Space Day (2024) event, organized by the FOSSEE GIS team, had 2000+ participants joining from Universities and Colleges across India. All of the FOSSEE GIS project activities are compliant with the National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP2020), the National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022, and the Indian Space Policy 2023 (NRSC-ISRO).
About the Organisers
The FOSSEE (https://fossee.in) project, based at IIT Bombay, is fully funded through the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India. The Rural Data Research and Analysis (RuDRA) Lab, IIT Bombay, is the technical partner for all the initiatives of FOSSEE GIS. The multi-award-winning Spoken Tutorial project is the knowledge partner. The FOSSEE project is headed by Prof. Kannan Moudgalya (Principal Investigator); Prof. Pennan Chinnasamy (Co.P.I.) leads the GIS vertical of the project; Mohamed Kasim Khan M (National Coordinator - FOSSEE(GIS) & Senior Research Scientist coordinates the overall strategic planning, partnership, and implementation of all the IIT Bombay-FOSSEE-GIS activities. Public sector agencies, Skill Development bodies, and Educational institutions (UGC/ AICTE/ AIU recognized Universities, Colleges, etc), Industries specialized in GIS domain seeking collaboration can write to <mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in> and help us spread awareness on the IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS team’s national level initiatives for the benefit of the teaching fraternity, industry professionals, student community present at large.
About the National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02)
The National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) is an initiative of the FOSSEE GIS project, IIT Bombay, which is organized under the aegis of the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India. The key objectives of the 'National Geospatial Awards 2025' are to honor the enablers of Geospatial Technology in India, cutting across professions (Institutions, Faculty, Industry professionals, Individuals, etc), along with celebrating the spirit of Open Source Geospatial/GIS tools which has empowered stakeholders and policymakers to adopt the latest technologies that align with the 'National Geospatial Policy 2022', and the 'Indian Space Policy 2023'.
The main awarding ceremony happened on 17 July 2025, at Prof. B. Nag Auditorium, IIT Bombay. As a part of IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS’s National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 05), (i) jury awards, (ii) Category-wise awards, and (iii) Special awards will be announced and distributed. A separate category of awards will be given to the subscribed Universities and Colleges of the multi-award-winning Spoken Tutorial project, IIT Bombay. This year, around 100 eminent academicians, scientists, bureaucrats, and industry experts received the awards. Out of which 10 were IAS officers, 01 from Armed Forces, 17 eminent scientists from ISRO organizations, 05 Vice Chancellors, 60+ renowned faculty from prestigious Institutions across India. The core organizing committee of the event comprises Convenor: Prof. Kannan Moudgalya, Principal Investigator, FOSSEE, IIT Bombay; Co-Convenor: Prof. Pennan Chinnasamy, Co-Principal Investigator, FOSSEE, IIT Bombay; Organizing Secretary: Mohamed Kasim Khan M, National Coordinator - FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT), IIT Bombay; and Awards Function Coordination: Mrs. Madhulika Goyal, Senior Manager, FOSSEE, IIT Bombay.
To know more about the National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02), please visit https://www.iitb.ac.in/event/national-geospatial-awards-2025-edition-02
For any queries, please contact Mr. Mohamed Kasim Khan, National Coordinator - FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT), IIT Bombay <mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in>
| 9:30 to 10:00 | Registration | ||
| 10:00 to 10:15 | Welcome Address and Overview about the Open Source GIS Day & National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) | Mohamed Kasim Khan M Organzing Secretary - National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) National Coordinator - FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT), IIT Bombay | |
| 10:15 to 10:30 | Inaugural Address | Prof. Kannan Moudgalya Convenor - National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) Principal Investigator - FOSSEE project, IIT Bombay | |
| 10:30 to 10:45 | About FOSSEE GIS | Prof. Pennan Chinnasamy Co-Convenor - National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) Co-Principal Investigator - FOSSEE project, IIT Bombay | |
| 10:45 to 11:00 | Chief Guest Address | Shri. Dr. Kiran Kumar Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Former Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India | |
| 11:00 to 13:15 | Awarding Ceremony | Awards presented by Shri. Dr. Kiran Kumar Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Former Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India | |
Recipient of National Jury Awards National Geospatial Enabler Award + Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS-ISRO), Dehradun Best Geospatial Practitioner Award + Assam State Space Application Centre, Government of Assam National Geospatial Leadership Award + Dr. Penumetcha Lakshmi Narasa Raju, Special Secretary to the Government of Assam and Director, Assam State Space Application Centre National Award for Women of Excellence in Geospatial Science and Technology + Professor Aparna Pandey, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi National Geospatial Professional Fellow + Dr. Harish Chandra Karnatak, Scientist/Engineer SG & HOD, GIT&DL, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS-ISRO), Dehradun [ISRO] Excellence in Outreach Award + Dr. Christianna Singh, Director, School of Arts and Sciences, VMRF-DU Excellence in Outreach Award + M.S.S. Wakf Board College, Madurai + Best Geospatial Platform Award + Bhuvan, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC-ISRO), Hyderabad Best Geospatial Training Institute + National Institute of Geospatial Science and Technology, Hyderabad (Survey of India, DST, Government of India) National Geospatial Faculty Fellow + Dr. Rajendra Prasad, IIT (BHU), Varanasi National Geospatial Emerging Faculty Fellow + Prof. Dipankar Mandal, IIT Guwahati Best University Awards + Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Trivandrum Emerging University Award + Sangam University, Rajasthan Best Geospatial Use Case + Open Source GIS and IoT-enabled Smart Panchayat (Kattakada), Government of Kerala Best Geospatial Curriculum + Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University Best Geospatial Startup Award + Garudanylatics Special Awards + Spoken Tutorial Best State Technical Education Enabler Award: Gujarat Knowledge Society (GKS), Commissionerate of Technical Education | |||
| 13:15 to 14:15 | Lunch Break | ||
| 14:15 to 14:45 | Lightning talk by Award Winners | ||
| 14:45 to 15:00 | Summarizing FOSSEE GIS Activities for 2025 Vote of Thanks - Mrs. Madhulika Goyal, Senior Project Manager, IIT Bombay | ||
Venue: Prof. B. Nag Main Auditorium, Victor Menezes Convention Centre, IIT Bombay, Mumbai.
Email: mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in
The National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02) is an initiative of the FOSSEE (GIS) project, IIT Bombay, which is organized under the aegis of the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India. The key objectives of the 'National Geospatial Awards 2025' are to honor the enablers of Geospatial Technology in India, cutting across professions (Institutions, Faculty, Industry professionals, Individuals, etc), along with celebrating the spirit of Open Source Geospatial/ GIS tools which has empowered stakeholders and policymakers to adopt the latest technologies that align with the 'National Geospatial Policy 2022', and the 'Indian Space Policy 2023'. Institutions (UG/AICTE/Union/State Government recognized) that have adopted the National Education Policy 2020 and are using Open Source GIS tools in their teaching-learning and research initiatives are strongly encouraged to apply.

Important dates:
- The nomination window opens on March 01, 2025, @15:00 IST
- Last date for submitting nominations: May 25, 2025, @23:59 IST
- The awarding ceremony on 3rd week @IIT Bombay [alongside the Open Source GIS Day celebrations, Industry-Academia Connect, and Panel Discussion]
Nominations are open for the following categories:
- National Geospatial Faculty Fellow (Open for Faculty members currently working in Universities and Colleges across India)
- National Geospatial Professional Fellow (Open for Industry Professionals working in Industries and MNCs in the Geospatial domain)
- The National Geospatial Skill Development Award (Open for skill development bodies)
- Best University Award/Best Emerging University Award (State-Wise) (Open to all UGC-recognized Universities (Central/ State/Universities) in India and their campuses abroad)
- Best College Award/Best Emerging College Award (State-Wise) (Open for all Colleges in India)
- Best Geospatial Enabler Award [Jury Award] (Open only to Central or State Government Institutions/ Organizations)
- Best Geospatial Practitioner Award [Jury Award](Open only for Centrally funded Research Organizations)
- Best Geospatial Startup Award [Jury Award] (National) (Open to all registered start-ups in India working in the Geospatial domain).
- Best Open Source-Based Geospatial Lab/ Campus Award(National) (Open to all Institutions and Research Labs in India).
- Best Geospatial/GIS Curriculum Award[Jury Award](Open to all Universities and Autonomous Colleges in India.(Alignment with the (Indian) National Geospatial Policy 2022 is recommended)
- Best Spoken Tutorial Institution Award - promoting Geospatial Technology (Open to all the ‘Spoken Tutorial’ subscribed Colleges in India)
NOTE:
- The National Geospatial Awards 2024 is "OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE INDIAN CITIZENS".
- Please choose your nomination category correctly.
- The organizing team shall not be responsible for typographical errors made by the applicant. Factual errors, if found during verification/ scrutiny, shall lead to the disqualification of the application or even at a later stage.
- The application window for the 'National Geospatial Awards 2025' opens on March 01, 2025, and closes on March 25, 2025 (there won't be a change in the deadline).
- The selected awardees will be informed in advance.
- The main awarding ceremony is tentatively planned to happen at IIT Bombay on May 06, 2025, as a part of the 'Open Source GIS Industry-Academia Connect' and panel discussion.
- Nominations must be submitted only through the official medium; any other mode of submission of nominations might not be accepted.
- The organizing team reserves the right to add/ modify/ remove any award category.
- The decision of the organizing committee shall be final and non-appealable.
For any queries related to the 'National Geospatial Awards 2025' and 'Open Source GIS Industry-Academia Connect' at IIT Bombay, please write to mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in
The awardees will get...
- The category-specific award.
- Category-specific 'National GIS Award' Certificate (E-Certificate through Email and Hard-Copy* of the certificate if the awardee wants to receive it in person on September 15, 2024, at IIT Bombay during the 'Open Source GIS Day' celebrations).
- Digital citation - The details of awardees will be listed on the FOSSEE project, IIT Bombay's website.
- The certificate will come with a verifiable QR code.
About the main organizer of the National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02):
The second edition of the National Geospatial Awards 2025 is organized by the GIS vertical of the FOSSEE project, IIT Bombay, which promotes the usage of Free/ Libre Open Source Software in academia and industry across India. The main objective of IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS is to spread awareness of Open Source-based Geospatial Software, promote Indian satellite data (ISRO - NRSC’s Bhuvan, Vedas, MOSDAC, Bhoonidhi Portals), and indigenous Indian technologies like NavIC (ISRO-SATNAV), etc. The FOSSEE GIS project, IIT Bombay (since 2020) has conceptualized and initiated dozens of nationally coveted, flagship activities which include but are not limited to, the IIT Bombay FOSSEE Geospatial Mapathon (the world’s biggest geospatial mapping challenge), National Geospatial Internship, National Geospatial Research Fellowship, National Geospatial Awards, domain-specific (medicine, agriculture, maritime) GIS Hackathons, National GIS Case Studies, etc, all of which aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP2020), the National Geospatial Policy 2022 (NGP2022), the Indian Space Policy 2023 (ISP2023). The niche open-source geospatial offerings by FOSSEE GIS, in Medical GIS (One Health), Artificial Intelligence, Green Energy and Sustainability (Electric Vehicle), Under Ocean Exploration, Waste to Wealth, and Rural Development, are inspired by various interdisciplinary national missions and programs.
FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT) provides unrestricted access to institutions that have implemented NEP2020, with a plethora of opportunities with multiple entry/ exit options in the internship (for eligible candidates), open source geospatial curriculum design, faculty development, technical support in setting up an Open Source GIS lab, etc. All that the institution has to do is to subscribe and become FOSSEE’s Open Source Geospatial Knowledge Centre (OSGKC), More details are given below. The FOSSEE GIS project, IIT Bombay, aims to create better opportunities for everyone (students, faculty, administrators, policymakers, etc) from diverse educational backgrounds interested in the field of geospatial science and technology. To know more about IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS activities for the calendar year 2025, please visit https://www.iitb.ac.in/iit-bombay-fossee-gis-activities-calendar-year-2…
NGA2025 Website: https://fossee.in/gis/awards
Email: mohamedkasim@iitb.ac.in; info@fossee.in
Phone: +91 (022) 2576 4111