To dig a canal, to make new roads, to identify water resources or to select a place for digging tube-wells, you need remote sensing or geographic information systems (GIS). It is also used by the forest department to identify places where trees are growing, where there is no growth and where trees and crops can be planted.

Geoinformatics uses information technology to improve both the organisation of geological information and the accessibility and application of this information for geographers, geologists and engineers. By applying collected data and developing complex models based on this data, geoinformatics can be used to advance both geology and engineering to the point where many of the problems of these sciences can be dealt with.

Geoinformatics is based on a range of synergetic activities including geospatial modelling, geospatial analysis, geospatial databases, geospatial technologies, information systems, systems design, spatial cognition, human-computer interaction, mobile computing, wired and wireless network technologies. Today, numerous applications are benefiting from geoinformatics techniques, technologies and tools. With recent advances in geoinformatics and related technologies, such as web services and grid computing, new geo processing paradigms and applications are expected to emerge.

What do I have to do?

Many fields benefit from geoinformatics, including the development of in-car navigation systems, automatic vehicle location systems, transportation planning and engineering, environmental modelling and analysis, urban planning, telecommunications, agriculture, farming and public health, to name just a few.

Geoinformatics is used for natural resources management, disaster management and national spatial data infrastructure.

When working with engineers, it may also be possible for geoinformatics researchers to develop complex simulations to test new building technologies or to check what the shortcomings of previous materials were; this can greatly increase the knowledge available to engineers concerning why certain building designs fail under stress and others don’t.

Internet has become the de facto instrument for disseminating information to broader audiences. Geoinformatics is the spatial hub of the IT industry. Town and regional planning and environmental and biodiversity management are increasingly becoming dependent on spatial information systems (SIS) together with the use of air and space-borne observation platforms. Large amounts of data are collected which needs to be analysed. The derived results from such analyses are disseminated in user friendly formats that are regularly updated.

What should I study?

You should be a graduate or postgraduate in science, agriculture, engineering, geology, geography, information technology, computer science / computer applications, management, commerce, town planning, ecology and environmental science or allied disciplines with 50 per cent marks.

What next?

Geoinformatics is finding a burgeoning market through wide ranging applications in diverse fields in the corporate sector. There is a dearth of skilled manpower in challenging fields such as utility enhancement, eco-monitoring, town planning, resource management and e-governance to name a few.

You can find employment in central government organisations such as the Space Application Center (SAC), Ahmedabad, National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Balanagar, Hyderabad, ISRO Bangalore and regional remote sensing centres. The department of space, Government of India, also employs scientists, research associates and senior research fellows. The Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Union ministry of agriculture, also look out for scientists and research scholars in this field. You can also apply for the post of lecturer, reader or professor in academic institutions.

The demand of remote sensing and GIS professionals is increasing in the private sector. GIS professionals can start their career as project manager, senior systems executive, systems analyst, GIS engineer, image analyst or GIS programmer.

Once you obtain a professional degree, you can also start your own enterprise or a consultancy.

Where to study

Birla Institute of Technology (BITS), Mesra, Ranchi.

Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehra Dun.

GIS Institute, Noida.

Symbiosis Institute of Geoinformatics, Pune.

Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (JNTU), Hyderabad.

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune.

Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.