NIT-R, Survey of India to collaborate for research

Rourkela: The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, and the Survey of India’s Odisha & Chhattisgarh geo-spatial directorate signed an MoU on Wednesday to deepen collaboration in geospatial science, advanced mapping technologies and inter-disciplinary research.

In a release issued on Thursday, NIT Rourkela said the MoU was signed by director Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao and Swarnima Bajpai, director of the geo-spatial directorate.


The initiative was facilitated by Prof Kishanjit Kumar Khatua of the civil engineering department, along with Bharat Kumbhar and Ashish Kaushal from the Survey of India.

Prof Rao said the collaboration aligns with India’s expanding focus on geospatial governance, climate resilience and precision mapping. “By combining the national mapping authority’s expertise with academic research excellence, the partnership will strengthen climate and environmental monitoring, sustainable planning and disaster risk management,” he said.

Survey of India director Swarnima Bajpai said the MoU marks a major step in bridging theoretical learning with ground-level application. “This collaboration integrates the Survey of India’s legacy with academic excellence. Working with institutions like NIT Rourkela will strengthen geospatial education and contribute meaningfully to national development,” she said.

Under the five-year agreement, NIT Rourkela will provide expert consultation on complex geodetic surveys and support the professional advancement of Survey of India personnel through specialised training, research access and academic programmes. The collaboration will also leverage national geospatial infrastructure such as continuously operating reference stations (CORS) for scientific and applied studies. Intellectual Property generated independently will remain with each institution, while jointly developed outcomes will be co-owned.