IIM Ahemdabad has presented before the World Bank India’s Svamitva (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme as a successful model after an evaluation study, which officials believe that it could one day become a model for other countries to replicate.
Releasing a report from the study, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said that Svamitva represents a landmark reform in strengthening rural land governance in India. Through the use of drone-based aerial surveys and a nationwide Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network, the scheme is enabling the creation of accurate and legally recognised property records for rural inhabited (abadi) areas.
Supported by Central funding of over ₹472 crore up to FY26, which has since extended till September 30, 2026, the scheme drone surveys have been conducted in 3.3 lakh villages, covering about 70 thousand square kilometres of abadi land.
The issuance of property cards has expanded rapidly since the launch of the scheme – from 7,440 villages receiving property cards in FY21, it has expanded to 1.89 lakh villages by FY26. Around 3.14 crore property cards have been prepared, providing formal ownership documentation to rural households across the country and the government estimates that it may reach 4 crore by September 30.
Drone survey is saturated in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Mizoram and Ladakh. The scheme has been saturated in Haryana, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Goa, Tripura, Dadra Nagar Haveli Daman, Lakshadweep and A&N Island as well, it said.
One doc for all
“This transition from informal settlements to geo-referenced, rights-based property records marks a historic shift in rural land governance. Generations of informal claims and disputed boundaries are being replaced with a single, legally recognised and digitally verifiable property document. The estimated monetised value of abadi land mapped under the scheme is approximately ₹135 lakh crore, indicating the substantial economic potential unlocked through formalisation of property rights,” the Ministry said.
Highlighting that a key outcome of the scheme has been securing property rights for rural households, the ministry said even courts have started recognising these property cards. Formal property documentation provides legal assurance over land ownership, enhancing the dignity, confidence, and long-term security of families, it added.
The scheme has also contributed to women’s empowerment by encouraging inclusion of women as recognised property owners in rural abadi areas. Besides, Svamitva has improved access to formal financial services by enabling property cards to be used as collateral for loans.
The government said that 10,913 loans amounting to ₹1,679 crore have been sanctioned using SVAMITVA property cards as collateral. “Loan amounts against Svamitva surveyed (by IIM Ahmedabad) residential parcels increased by ₹22,129 annually per parcel — with zero substitution from agricultural land loans,” the ministry said.
Published on April 30, 2026