Department of Land Resources and World Bank Discuss Collaboration on Land Governance Reforms

Secretary, Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Shri Narendra Bhooshan, held an interaction with a delegation of the World Bank led by Mr. Paul Procee, Country Director for India, on 15 June 2026 in New Delhi. Senior officials of the Department and experts from the World Bank participated in the discussions.

Welcoming the delegation, Shri Narendra Bhooshan emphasized that land is one of the most

important productive assets available to Indian households and plays a critical role in agricultural productivity, rural prosperity, urban development, financial inclusion and economic growth.

The Secretary observed that while land constitutes the largest asset class for a majority of Indian families, its economic potential remains underutilized. He highlighted the need for modern, transparent and technology-enabled land governance systems that can facilitate secure property rights, improve access to institutional credit, support investment and enhance ease of living for citizens.

Shri Bhooshan underlined 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 stressed the need for continuous capacity building and learning from national and international best practices.

The Secretary highlighted ongoing initiatives of the Department, including modernization of land records, survey and resurvey, urban property record creation, watershed development and efforts towards interoperability of land-related digital systems. He emphasized the importance of creating an integrated ecosystem in which land records can support agriculture, credit delivery, planning and citizen services.

During the discussions, the possibility of developing an India-specific framework for assessing land governance reforms across States was also deliberated. Such a framework could facilitate bench marking 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. Discussions also covered opportunities for knowledge exchange, policy research and capacity building.

The Department of Land Resources reaffirmed its commitment to working with knowledge partners and institutions for promoting transparent, efficient and citizen-centric land governance systems in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Klaus W. Deininger, Lead Economist, World Bank; Shri P. Narahari, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources; Shri Nitin Khade, Joint Secretary (WM), Department of Land Resources; and Shri Punit Kumar, Director (FB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, along with other senior officials.