This study is a project under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and Earth Sciences Sector, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The work to develop this project began during a business mission to India in November 2002, when the MOU was signed. Interest in collaboration on the development of national spatial data infrastructures (NSDI) was first explored in a workshop organized by NRCan, CGPC and other industry partners during this mission, and became a focus of the MOU.

The main objective of this Feasibility Study project is to analyze the relevant factors affecting the successful implementation of an NSDI in India. The Indian government wants to involve some of Canada’s leading SDI firms in an assessment of the feasibility of their own country's migration toward Canada's example of an open-architecture, standards based, multi-vendor NSDI. Canada’s leadership role in establishing an operational data infrastructure under the GeoConnections/CGDI program was a key factor in DST’s decision to proceed with this project.

This initiative demonstrates the merits of CGPC’s business development approach. The close working relationship between Natural Resources Canada and CGPC and its network of partner firms was instrumental in winning this project. NRCan played a central role in developing the working relationship with the client in India and providing a framework for the negotiations on the project with Department of Science and Technology.

The project will begin with a Stakeholder Workshop in early June 2005.

For further information, contact:

Ed Kennedy
Managing Director
Canadian GeoProject Centre
Ottawa
Tel: 613-944-5146
E-mail: ekennedy@cgpc.ca