Homegrown mapping platform Mappls, owned by MapmyIndia, recently grabbed headlines after Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw praised it as a “great swadeshi app” and urged citizens to support Indian technology. The endorsement sent MapmyIndia’s shares soaring over 8% on the stock market and came just days after the company rolled out real-time traffic signal countdowns in Bengaluru, a first-of-its-kind feature in India.
As Mappls integrates with India Post’s DIGIPIN system and expands partnerships with major carmakers, its rise has reignited public interest in the man who built it, Rakesh Verma, the founder who once left a stable life in the United States to chart a new course for India’s digital future.
From the US to India: Building maps before the world saw their value
In the early 1990s, when digital maps were barely understood globally, Rakesh Verma made a bold decision. After spending 12 years in the US, including a role at General Motors’ Saturn car project, he returned to India with a vision to build indigenous digital maps that could power the nation’s growth.
Armed with an MBA from Eastern Washington University and an engineering degree from BITS Pilani, Verma founded MapmyIndia to create precise, comprehensive digital maps for businesses, government projects, and consumers. Despite limited awareness and resources in the early days, his conviction in the potential of geospatial data never wavered.
Over three decades later, MapmyIndia has evolved into a technology powerhouse, delivering navigation, analytics, and tracking solutions to government agencies, defence organisations, and private enterprises alike.
Mappls App: Powering Indian cars and cities
Verma’s company now offers the Mappls App, a privacy-focused alternative to Google Maps. The platform has become integral to India’s connected mobility ecosystem, with its technology being integrated into vehicles by Indian OEMs such as Mahindra, Tata Motors, and Hyundai. These collaborations enable in-car navigation systems that run entirely on Indian data, strengthening the country’s technological self-reliance.
Mappls also supports multiple Indian languages and recently launched innovative features such as AI-based traffic updates, 3D maps, and real-time signal timers. Its integration with India Post’s DIGIPIN system further cements its role in the nation’s digital infrastructure.
Backed by leaders and innovators
MapmyIndia’s vision has earned the support of top voices in India’s tech and policy circles. Alongside Union Ministers, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has also publicly backed Mappls, hailing it as a model for privacy-conscious, self-reliant innovation.
As President of the Survey and Mapping Association of India (SAMA) and Co-Chair of FICCI’s Geospatial Committee, Verma continues to shape India’s digital mapping policies.
From quitting a US corporate job to taking on Google Maps’ $11.1 billion global business (revenue as per Morgan Stanley in 2023), Rakesh Verma’s journey with MapmyIndia is a testament to how one man’s foresight helped India chart its own path in the world of navigation.
