About Mapathon

Mapathon is a map making competition for creating thematic maps, using open source data and mapping software. It is a collaborative event where participants come together to develop new tools/methods that improve the accuracy and usefulness of maps for a community. The FOSSEE team at IIT Bombay, along with its partners (earlier partners were AICTE, ISRO) will invite all Indians - to produce maps using various data (e.g. observation data, remote sensing data, crowdsourced data, etc.). The primary objective is to understand the potential of remote sensing data and make maps for Indian regions using free open source mapping software (e.g.: QGIS). The participants will collectively work in a crowd sourcing method for jointly producing thematic maps of India.

The data collected from various platforms have tremendous potential in mapping India’s resources, agriculture, climate and disaster management, rural and urban planning and in identifying pathways for future development. Such maps can be created using Free open Source platforms (such as QGIS). Let us join together to create such maps through the Mapathon.

Mapathon also aims to develop indigenous capacity to customize and employ mapping to resolve societal challenges and create new opportunities for young India.-. The primary objective is to understand the potential of open source mapping and maps for Indian regions and to build capacity for the same.

Important Dates

FOSSEE GIS Mandates

The following are the mandates of the IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS team. It is requested that the applicant(s) before or during the time of registration go through all the mandates laid out by the IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS team, and adhere to it. It any violation/ breach of any mandate is found at any phase of the Mapathon, the concerned team(s) shall be disqualified without any further notice. It is also to be noted that at all times, the decision of the IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS team shall be final and non-appealable.

• Indian Citizen Only
• Must be a bonafide student/alumni of UGC/AICTE/AIU recognized University/ College/ Research Organization in India
• Use only Free/Libre Open Source Software
• Use only Open Source Hardware
• Align with any SDG. Work on real-life data sets.
• Adhere to the Indian National Geospatial Policy
• Use Indian Satellite data, and shape file only from the Survey of India portal
• Inclined towards Gati Shakti (recommended).

The decision of the IIT Bombay FOSSEE GIS team will be final in all circumstances and non-appealable. By registering and participating in the Mapathon, the participant(s)/ team(s) will be bound to the mandates and shall be expected to abide by them.

Mapathon Themes

• Themes

• Problem Statement
• Mapping of natural resources/man-made features
• Natural Resources Change Detection 
• LULC Change with hotspots using LULC maps from Bhuvan
• Flood Maps
• State-wise Health Care Indicators Maps
• Locust infestation / Stubble burning / Low lying areas / Low lying areas / Jhum Cultivation
• Road Network  and Road Quality / Drainage Maps
• Land Degradation Maps
• Health infra, population, age group etc. for Vaccination
• Detection of change in Waterbodies / Reservoirs / Wetlands
• Crop / Plantation  type map
• Amenities map 
• Water source and quality mapping
• Population crowding/ traffic hotspots
• Network coverage maps
• Local markets/produce/employment maps 
• Map of waste segregation and collection points
• Mapping places of cultural importance
• Choose your own topic

Organizer & Partners

Organizer: FOSSEE GIS project, IIT Bombay, under the aegis of the National Mission on Education through ICT, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Co-Organizer: The Rural Data Research and Analysis (RuDRA) Lab, IIT Bombay & Airports Authority of India

Knowledge Partners: ICFOSS, TNSDC, VTU, D-BATU

Contact:

For any query related to Mapathon 2025, please write to <mohamedkasim[at]iitb[dot]ac[dot]in>