Travelling across India? This new homegrown app is an alternative to Google Maps

Mapples App is a digital navigation and mapping application developed by the Indian company MapmyIndia, promoted as a swadeshi alternative to global mapping services like Google Maps, with a strong focus on data privacy (data that is stored in India) and features specifically tailored for Indian road conditions and addresses.

All mapping data and services are developed and hosted within India, which is a significant factor in the government’s push for indigenous technology. The app has crossed 35 million downloads and has seen a surge in popularity.

The app provides three-dimensional previews of complex intersections, flyovers, underpasses and roundabouts to help drivers navigate them clearly. It offers highly accurate, house-level addressing and navigation, even in semi-urban and rural areas.

The app is a unique, simplified six-character digital address code that makes sharing and finding complex addresses much easier. It gives alerts for speed limits, accident blackspots, sharp curves, speed breakers, potholes and traffic camera locations and provides a real-time countdown to traffic signal changes (currently operational in select cities like Bengaluru).

Mappls App allows users to estimate fuel and toll expenses in advance, with integration for the NHAI FASTag Annual Pass. It offers immersive 360-degree panoramic street views of major Indian roads and landmarks. It provides guidance for navigating inside multi-story complexes, malls and offices.

Lead the way

Mappls has gained significant attention as part of the government’s push for digital self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. MapmyIndia has also collaborated with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) on various geospatial technologies. It is available in some cities to help users avoid stretches of bad roads.

The app supports navigation, search and voice guidance in nine regional Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam and Gujarati). A proprietary digital address system that divides India into small sections (3.8-metre square blocks) for precise addressing, especially useful in rural or lessdocumented areas. The company has partnered with India Post to integrate the DIGIPIN system.

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