A Sri Lankan delegation of civil servants visited New Delhi on 23 September 2026 to study India's large-scale land governance reforms, covering digitisation of land records, spatial-textual integration, digital registration, geospatial identification of land parcels, computerisation of Revenue Courts, and modern urban land mapping, according to an official statement. The exposure programme was coordinated by the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and hosted by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Key Reforms Showcased

The session placed particular emphasis on India's Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), the computerisation of Records of Rights (RoRs), integration of property registration with land records, and the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) — also known as Bhu-Aadhaar. ULPIN assigns a unique 14-digit alphanumeric identity to land parcels based on their geospatial coordinates, enabling linkage with other land-related datasets and maintaining those linkages even when parcels are subdivided.

What Indian Officials Said

P. Narahari, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, underscored the bilateral importance of the exchange. 'Land is not merely an administrative record; it is closely linked to livelihoods, economic activity, access to government benefits and citizens' sense of security. India's experience has been one of continuously modernising land administration through technology, while recognising the diversity of our States and their land systems. We are pleased to share these experiences with our Sri Lankan colleagues and equally look forward to learning from their institutional practices and reforms,' he said.

Amit Kumar Singh, Director (LR), DoLR, elaborated on the broader vision: 'The transformation of land records is not merely about converting paper records into digital form. The larger objective is to create an integrated land information ecosystem where textual records, spatial information, registration data and geospatial technologies complement each other.'

Bharat Land Stack and Paperless Registration

The delegation received a detailed walkthrough of the Bharat Land Stack, described as an integrated, GIS-based federated architecture that brings together satellite and drone imagery, georeferenced cadastral boundaries, Records of Rights, property registration data, master planning and zoning regulations, building approvals, restrictions and litigation, circle rates, and tenancy details. The visiting officials were also briefed on ongoing reforms towards paperless registration and automated mutation, under which registration information can be electronically transmitted to the relevant revenue authority — significantly reducing delays and the need for citizens to make repeated visits to government offices.

Urban Land Governance and NAKSHA

NAKSHA, India's initiative to strengthen urban land governance through modern geospatial technologies, was highlighted as a significant step in the modernisation agenda. Collectively, these systems represent a multi-layered approach to reforming a domain that directly affects access to credit, government welfare benefits, and dispute resolution for millions of citizens. This comes amid growing regional interest in technology-driven public administration, with India increasingly positioning itself as a model for digital governance reform among neighbouring and partner nations.

The exchange is expected to inform future bilateral cooperation in land administration, with both sides reportedly open to learning from each other's institutional practices.