On June 2, the second phase of NAKSHA's capacity-building program will begin in five national centers of excellence.

Introduction

The Second Phase of the NAKSHA Capacity Building Program has begun, marking a major advancement in India's urban planning and GIS skills. Commencing on June 2, this project will be implemented throughout five National Centers of Excellence (NCoEs). The program is a reflection of the government's strategic goal to equip professionals with advanced skills in sustainable infrastructure development, geospatial data processing, and spatial planning.

The NAKSHA initiative sits at the intersection of technology and capacity building as urbanization picks up speed and geospatial data becomes more and more important for efficient governance and infrastructure management.

What is the NAKSHA Capacity Building Programme?

Building technical capacity in the fields of urban planning and geospatial sciences is the goal of the national program known as NAKSHA (National Action for Knowledge, Skill, and Harnessing Aspirations). In order to control urban expansion, create smarter cities, and guarantee sustainability through data-driven planning, the program aims to give planners, architects, engineers, and administrators cutting-edge knowledge and resources.

The first phase of NAKSHA, which was started by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has already had an impact. Hundreds of professionals received practical training in digital mapping technologies, remote sensing, GIS applications, and spatial data interpretation.

The Second Phase: A Nationwide Scale-Up

Beginning on June 2, the second phase of the NAKSHA Capacity Building Program will be implemented in five esteemed National Centers of Excellence. These centers act as gathering places for professional training, innovation, and domain-specific information.

The Five National Centres of Excellence:

1. CEPT University, Ahmedabad

2. School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi

3. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun

4. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), New Delhi

5. National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Bhopal

These institutes each contribute a wealth of knowledge in urban development, technology integration, remote sensing, and spatial planning. While upholding a uniform national framework, they will undertake specialized training modules catered to regional needs.

Objectives of the Second Phase

The following are the main objectives of the NAKSHA Program's second phase:

1. Enhancing Professional Competency

to develop a workforce with the expertise to use geospatial data for evidence-based infrastructure design, public policy creation, and urban planning.

2. Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration

in order to promote cooperation across sectors among government agencies, environmental engineers, GIS specialists, and urban planners.

3. Mainstreaming Geospatial Technologies

to incorporate cutting-edge technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial analytics into routine planning and decision-making procedures in Smart Cities and urban local bodies (ULBs).

4. Supporting Sustainable Urban Development

in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN, particularly SDG 11: "Sustainable Cities and Communities."

Key Features of the Programme

Customized Training Modules

To ensure relevance to regional urban concerns, each center will create context-specific curriculum ranging from foundational concepts to sophisticated applications.

Hands-On GIS Training

workshops on remote sensing and real-time, hands-on GIS labs that use government maps, real information, and planning scenarios.

Digital Tools for Urban Governance

instruction in the use of cloud-based platforms, geographic decision support systems, mapping APIs, and dashboards.

Online and Offline Hybrid Delivery

blended learning that combines in-depth class sessions, live webinars, and self-paced online modules.

Certification and Recognition

MoHUA and partner institutions will jointly provide certificates to participants, enhancing the legitimacy of their professional portfolio.

Target Audience

A broad spectrum of stakeholders engaged in urban government and development are the focus of the program, including:

• Urban planners and city managers

• Engineers and architects from government agencies

• Town planning officers

• Smart City project teams

• GIS professionals and data analysts

• Faculty and students from planning institutes

Government Vision Behind NAKSHA

The NAKSHA program reduces reliance on foreign geospatial services and builds internal competence, which is a step towards achieving "AatmaNirbhar Bharat." The goal is in line with:

• India's National Geospatial Policy 2022 seeks to establish a strong geospatial ecosystem.

• GIS-based planning is an essential part of AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation).

• Real-time data and mapping are essential to governance in the 100 Smart Cities Mission.

Geospatial intelligence is the future of urban administration, according to MoHUA, and India needs to develop its own capabilities to fully realize this promise.

Impact of the First Phase

More than 2,000 professionals from more than 150 urban local bodies were successfully trained during the first phase of the NAKSHA program, which was started in early 2024. Among the significant accomplishments were:

• Digitization of base maps for city-level infrastructure.

• Better flood-risk mapping in urban areas.

• Use of GIS for property tax assessment and municipal service delivery.

• Strengthened disaster management planning in climate-vulnerable zones.

What to Expect from the Second Phase

The upcoming phase will expand in terms of:

• Geographical Coverage – from metro cities to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

• Diversity of Participants – inclusion of engineers from Jal Jeevan Mission, Smart Cities teams, and state-level officers.

• Advanced Content – focus on AI integration with spatial data, 3D city modeling, urban digital twins, and predictive analytics.

Future Roadmap

The government intends to further expand the NAKSHA initiative beyond the second phase:

• Establishing Regional GIS Resource Centres

• Developing State-Level Urban Planning Portals

• Launching a National Urban Planning Data Repository

• Creating a Geospatial Career Certification Programme

These actions will formalize the acquired information and have a cascading effect on India's development ecosystem.

Conclusion

In order to equip India's urban workforce with 21st-century skills, the Second Phase of the NAKSHA Capacity Building Program will begin on June 2. Five National Centers of Excellence are actively participating in the effort, which will enhance governance systems in Indian cities while also enhancing individual competencies.

India's ability to accept and capitalize on this shift will be essential to creating intelligent, resilient, and sustainable urban ecosystems as geospatial technology continues to transform city planning and management.