Sridhar Vembu, Ashwini Vaishnaw Call MapMyIndia ‘Decades of R&D Ahead of Google Maps’

Zoho co-founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu praised MapMyIndia’s navigation app, Mappls, on X, calling it “very nice” and saying it reflects “decades of R&D, much longer than Google Maps.”

He extended his best wishes to Rohan Verma and the MapMyIndia team.

Vembu’s tweet came after union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, showcased the app on 11 October, while sitting in a car and using the maps on the phone. Vaishnaw urged people to try the “Swadeshi ‘Mappls’” app, highlighting its 3D navigation and shop-level mapping features.

In the video, he demonstrated the app’s 3D views of over-bridges and underpasses, as well as its ability to show precise locations of shops and venues in multi-level buildings, calling it packed with “good features.”

The government also revealed plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with MapMyIndia to integrate Mappls’ GIS applications in the railway sector, signalling wider adoption of the app in public infrastructure.

Mappls, which has over 35 million downloads, celebrated its “Swadeshi technology” roots, describing itself as “powered by MapMyIndia’s homegrown mapping technology.”

Key features include Junction View, door-level navigation, live traffic signal timers, safety and speed alerts, toll cost estimates, Mappls PIN, DigiPIN, and support for regional languages.

Ever since the push from the government for using tech products built in India like Zoho’s Arattai and other suite of products, MapMyIndia has also come into the focus.

Last month, Vaishnaw also announced that he is moving to Zoho’s suite of productivity tools, calling on others to adopt Indian products in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for “swadeshi.” This move was also followed by Home Minister Amit Shah, when he announced that he is moving to Zoho Mail.

The post Sridhar Vembu, Ashwini Vaishnaw Call MapMyIndia ‘Decades of R&D Ahead of Google Maps’ appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.