Department of Land Resources and World Bank Discuss Land Governance Collaboration
Secretary of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Shri Narendra Bhooshan, held an interaction with a World Bank delegation led by Country Director for India Mr. Paul Procee on 15 June 2026 in New Delhi. The meeting included senior officials from the Department and World Bank experts, focusing on collaboration opportunities for land governance reforms.
Shri Bhooshan emphasized that land represents the most important productive asset for Indian households and plays a critical role in agricultural productivity, rural prosperity, urban development, financial inclusion, and economic growth. He noted that while land constitutes the largest asset class for most Indian families, its economic potential remains underutilized, highlighting the need for modern, transparent, and technology-enabled land governance systems to facilitate secure property rights, improve access to institutional credit, support investment, and enhance ease of living for citizens.
The Secretary specifically stressed the importance of leveraging emerging technologies including geospatial systems, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and data-driven governance tools for improving land administration and service delivery. He also emphasized the need for continuous capacity building and learning from both national and international best practices.
Ongoing initiatives highlighted during the meeting included modernization of land records, survey and resurvey operations, urban property record creation, watershed development, and efforts towards interoperability of land-related digital systems. The Department emphasized creating an integrated ecosystem where land records can support agriculture, credit delivery, planning, and citizen services.
Discussions also covered the possibility of developing an India-specific framework for assessing land governance reforms across states, which would facilitate benchmarking of progress, dissemination of best practices, and evidence-based policy interventions in the land sector.
The World Bank delegation shared international experiences and global best practices relating to land administration, digital land records, property governance, institutional strengthening, and technology adoption. The discussions also covered opportunities for knowledge exchange, policy research, and capacity building initiatives.
The Department of Land Resources reaffirmed its commitment to working with knowledge partners and institutions to promote transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric land governance systems aligned with the Viksit Bharat vision. The meeting was attended by Mr. Klaus W. Deininger (Lead Economist, World Bank), Shri P. Narahari (Joint Secretary, DoLR), Shri Nitin Khade (Joint Secretary (WM), DoLR), and Shri Punit Kumar (Director (FB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance), along with other senior officials.