India significantly influenced global discussions during the World Bank Land Conference 2025 by showcasing its rural governance models through initiatives such as SVAMITVA Scheme and Gram Manchitra platform. The conference, held in Washington D.C., underlined how secure land ownership through SVAMITVA improves livelihoods and empowerment in rural India, benefiting farmers, women, and small entrepreneurs. With over 68,000 square kilometers surveyed and assets worth Rs.1.16 trillion monetized, the SVAMITVA Scheme was recognized as a scalable model for economic transformation worldwide.
Additionally, India's Securing Land Rights for a Billion People session highlighted SVAMITVA’s comprehensive approach from drone surveys to property card issuance, emphasizing institutional convergence for inclusive development through capacity building and financial incentives. The involvement of Gram Manchitra in the technical session illustrated its dual role in supporting climate resilience, infrastructure planning, and disaster risk management across the globe.
India's presence at the conference reinforced worldwide recognition of its rural governance improvements, specifically its SVAMITVA Scheme and Gram Manchitra platform, as exemplars for enhancing property rights, economic development, and community preparedness.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: Government ministry of India responsible for Panchayati Raj institutions.
World Bank Land Conference 2025: An international conference focused on land issues, organized by the World Bank, held in 2025.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - likely the source of the press release.
India: The country that had a strong presence at the World Bank Land Conference 2025.
Washington D.C.: The city where the World Bank Land Conference 2025 was held.
Shri Vivek Bharadwaj: Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, who led India as a Country Champion at the conference.
SVAMITVA Scheme: A flagship initiative of India aimed at securing land ownership in rural areas.
Gram Manchitra: A geospatial planning platform used in India to empower Gram Panchayats for localized development plans.
Shri Alok Prem Nagar: Joint Secretary, MoPR, who showcased Gram Manchitra at the conference.
MoPR: Abbreviation for Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Gram Panchayats: Local self-government organizations at the village level in India.
Government of India: The governing body of the Republic of India.
Aditi Agrawal: Name associated with the press release, potentially the author or contact person.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
World Bank Land Conference 2025 concludes with
Nations keen to replicate India’s Rural Governance
Models
Posted On: 09 MAY 2025 3:52PM by PIB Delhi
India marked a strong and impactful presence at the World Bank Land Conference 2025. In the four day
conference held from 5th to 8th May 2025, in Washington D.C., India assumed the role of a Country
Champion under the leadership of Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. During the
conference, global attention was drawn towards India’s flagship initiatives like SVAMITVA Scheme and
Gram Manchitra platform, as models of inclusive, technology-driven rural governance.
While the Plenary Session on “Good Practices and Challenges in Land Tenure and Governance Reform”,
outlined how secure land ownership through SVAMITVA is improving livelihoods, empowering women, and
enabling access to credit in rural India, the real-life success stories from across the country of farmers,
women, and small entrepreneurs demonstrated the ground-level impact of property rights and formalized land
records in India. With 68,000 sq. km surveyed and Rs.1.16 trillion worth of land monetized, SVAMITVA
stood out as a scalable model for inclusive economic transformation at the global level. Subsequently, the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj led a high-level special session titled “Securing Land Rights for a Billion People”,
during the conference which was attended by representatives of World Bank Divisions and several countries
highlighting the end-to-end implementation and impact of the SVAMITVA Scheme, from drone surveys and
legal frameworks to property card issuance and institutional convergence.
In the technical session on “Establishing the Land Foundation for Climate Action and Disaster Risk
Management” held on 8th May, Shri Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, showcased Gram Manchitra, a
geospatial planning platform that empowers Gram Panchayats to prepare data-driven, localized development
plans. The tool’s role in promoting climate resilience, infrastructure planning, and convergence of schemes
was demonstrated drawing appreciation for its applicability in global south context. In his presentation, Shri
Nagar also emphasized the importance of capacity building, financial incentives, and community engagement,
positioning Gram Manchitra as a forward-looking solution for disaster preparedness and inclusive
development.
At the World Bank Land Conference 2025, India is spotlighting the transformative SVAMITVA
Scheme, a major land governance reform aimed at securing property rights in rural India. This
landmark initiative establishes legal ownership of residential land in rural "Abadi" areas using…pic.twitter.com/Ob3KARmuOB
— Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India (@mopr_goi) May 8, 2025
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Aditi Agrawal
(Release ID: 2127907)