Few takers for GPS in-car navigation systems

MUMBAI: In India, the most popular use for global positioning systems (GPS) has been tracking and surveillance, be it by logistics firms or security agencies. But since last year, several carmakers are offering GPS in-car navigation systems in their premium models to find routes and locate places.

Jashdip Bhatia, regional business development manager for Ford India, said the trend is a new one and GPS in-car units are yet to catch up in a big way in India. “Though most customers are impressed by the demos, not all end up buying the navigation device,” Bhatia said. The automaker recently started offering in-car GPS units as a standalone device along with its Ford Endeavour brand. It, however, sells only about eight such units a month, each of which is priced at Rs 18,000 on an average.

Geographical mapping has been a major issue in the country because of policy regulations that control digital mapping. Following the draft National Map Policy of 2005, the Survey of India (SoI) opened maps to the public for developmental purposes and partnered with navigation map providers such as Tele Atlas Kalyani India to release digital maps and custom map content in the public domain.

While some are sceptical about the feasibility of such systems in cars, others find them useful. Tushar Jambhekar, a Mumbai-based media professional who was gifted a GPS in-car unit by his brother in the US, has never used his set. “Here, one always finds people on the roads, so asking for directions is never a concern, unlike in the US,” he said.

But businessman Sidhesh Chauhan finds it handy. Chauhan’s work takes him across Maharashtra, even to the far interiors. “Now, driving around at night is safe because of the directions and landmarks displayed on the GPS navigator in my car. I can send my driver alone on business errands as he can also understand the user-friendly functioning of the device,” he said. Chauhan bought the MapmyIndia GPS in-car navigator two months ago from a General Motors outlet in Mumbai.

Rohan Verma, the director of GPS navigation devices provider MapmyIndia, said, “We have mapped about 200 Indian cities so far and our navigators provide info on important landmarks, en route. Moreover, they are equipped with Bluetooth and multimedia facilities for a hands-free experience,” he said.

One hindrance to the adoption of these systems in the country could be their accuracy. When ex-pilot Captain Samir Guha Maulik wanted to drive down to a beach resort outside Mumbai, his MapmyIndia navigator gave up somewhere along the way. “I wanted to go to the Dive Agar beach, which is 150 km from Mumbai, but the GPS navigator could only get as far as Shrivardhan beach, a few km behind Dive Agar. I then had to figure out the rest of the route myself,” he said.

Before this, for over a decade, Maulik used a Garmin GPS navigator, which could plot on its own any new route taken by the vehicle and trace the old route with respect to the former.

Navigation data providers agree that it is a challenge to constantly update map data with new details. “Unlike in the US, we seldom have street names or road numbers. So the task is challenging. We have appointed field surveyors to travel to different parts of India and provide latest info on landmarks, etc,” Verma said.