You won’t be able to use navigation maps on your smartphones soon. Yes, this is bizarre

If the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill gets passed, you will need to get a licence for accessing Google Maps.

This will indeed turn out to be nightmare for people who rely on maps to reach their destinations, especially for those who are new in any city.

If the government regularises and licenses maps, it will also hurt businesses as online food delivery services and online cab aggregators used Maps to reach the destination.

A draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, released last week for public comment, says anyone mapping India by using a satellite or aerial platform will need a license from a government security vetting authority (SVA).

Not only this, anybody having a GPS-enabled smartphone won’t be able to tag any location in India as it would also require certain permission.

Mandip Singh Soin, founder of Ibex Expeditions, said the draft seems "bizarre" and could impact the safety of adventure climbers, trekkers and even those on rescue missions, all of these relying heavily on maps.

"The plotting of routes, treks etc. is all done according to maps by companies like Google. We need to share it with our customers and guides," Soin told ET.

Sanjay Kumar, president of the Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI) lobby group, of which Google is a member, told ET the legislation will mean the kiss of death for innovation.

"Without geospatial information, you have no innovative business models around internet of things, autonomous vehicles, ecommerce, mobile banking or social media," he said.

The government will respond within three months of a licence application.

(Image: Thinkstock)