MapmyIndia looks to expand its presence in North India

Rakesh Verma

Managing Director, MapmyIndia 

talks to Girja Shankar Kaura 

With the advent of smartphones and other on-the-move devices, more and more people have been depending on city and state maps and navigation systems to reach their destination through the shortest possible route and by avoiding the rush. MapmyIndia’s managing director Rakesh Verma talks about the company’s expansion plans.

Q. MapmyIndia recently completed 10 years of its inception. How has been the journey so far?

A. MapmyIndia as a brand has been in existence for the past 10 years but its genesis is much earlier. MapmyIndia has always been and will always be an innovation-driven company, be it the sector in which we operate in or the kind of products/solutions we offer.

Each day has been an exciting one, especially the start-up phase, where every day came with its own challenges, beginning from a time when no one used a map, MapmyIndia took on this huge task of comprehensively mapping India.

As we went about digitally mapping the country, customers started coming. Leading names like Coke, Essar (now Vodafone) and many others asked us to develop customised map-based solutions. This was encouraging and kept us going. Today I can say that we have succeeded in our task, not only in building India’s best maps but also in bringing about a paradigm shift among Indians compelling them to embrace maps. Now everyone uses maps — on their phones, laptops, computers, tablets, car AVs etc. MapmyIndia is engaging the consumer on each and every platform. Our solutions are being used by governments, institutions, leading companies and individuals.

Q. MapmyIndia recently executed India’s first GPS-guided biometric system for Ambala Municipal Corporation. How has been the response so far?

A. MapmyIndia GPS-Guided Biometric System (MGGBS) is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, executed for the Ambala Municipal Corporation. The system ensures that the 1,000 safai karamcharis and the staff report to work at their designated areas at the right time. To make this possible, state-of-the-art technologies such as fingerprint identification, biometrics, digital mapping, tracking and navigation have been fully integrated into the MGGBS components viz. handheld GPS-enabled biometric machines, fixed biometric machines, attendance software and MapmyIndia maps.

The residents are already experiencing the benefits via better upkeep of the public areas like parks, cleaner streets and roads etc. MGGBS can be a helpful tool in realising the Prime Minister’s vision of Swacch Bharat.

Q. Are you working with other civic bodies for similar projects in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh or any other states?

A. We are talking to municipal corporations of numerous cities in Haryana and Punjab. MGGBS is a fully scalable solution that has been especially developed for manpower deployment. The solution is devised on a turnkey basis, where MapmyIndia team executes the project onsite and provides the necessary training to local staff in running the system. Apart from this, the system is maintained by our team which adapts and upgrades it as per the changing requirements.

Q. Which are the automobile companies that have tied up with MapmyIndia and are offering navigation services to their customers?

A. MapmyIndia’s maps are being adopted by leading car manufacturers, with the company occupying the dominant market leader position in automotive navigation. MapmyIndia has already collaborated with all leading car manufacturers across India to offer MapmyIndia navigation to their consumers, including BMW, Jaguar-Land Rover, Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Renault, Mitsubishi, GM, Ford, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Maruti.

Q. Tell us about tracking solutions?

A. In the current scenario where there are heightened security concerns, especially for women, MapmyIndia’s tracking solutions are helping address these in an effective manner. Since the map database on which these are built, has been tested for accuracy, this adds to the credibility of these products.

Many leading travel, tour and cab services such as Avis, Ola Cabs, Taxiforsure, LPTI (Le Passage To India) etc. are using MapmyIndia solutions. We are working with leading transporters and commercial fleet operators of the country. MapmyIndia is also helping e-commerce companies to make their logistics more efficient and cost effective.

Q. What kind of products and services can we look forward to from MapmyIndia in the near future?

A. We are working on a whole range of new and innovative devices for the after-market consumers and also deepening our partnerships with industry offering them the best in next generation location technologies.