The award was presented by His Excellency Dinesh K Patnaik, Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Spain, at the 16th Geospatial World Forum in Madrid.

New Delhi, April 2025: In recognition of his pioneering contributions to India's geospatial sector and his leadership in founding MapmyIndia — the country's leading location and deep-tech company — Mr Rakesh Verma, Co-Founder and Chairman & Managing Director, MapmyIndia, has been conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Geospatial World Forum, held in Madrid, Spain. The award was presented by His Excellency Dinesh K Patnaik, Indian Ambassador to Kingdom of Spain.

Organised by the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) — the premier global platform for geospatial thought leadership and innovation — the award celebrates Mr. Verma's instrumental role in establishing indigenous digital mapping capabilities in India and taking Geo-tech to the global stage.

Award Citation: "Rakesh Verma, Co-Founder and CMD of MapmyIndia, is a visionary whose pioneering efforts laid the foundation of India's digital mapping industry. At a time when geospatial innovation was nascent, he dared to dream of a sef-reliant India in mapping. His leadership and advocacy have driven critical policy reforms and technological innovation, shaping MapmyIndia into a national geospatial powerhouse. Beyond business, his commitment to education and social good is commendable. We are honored to present him with the Geospatial Leadership- Lifetime Achievement Award."

Responding to the honor, Mr. Rakesh Verma said "I accept this recognition with immense pride and deep gratitude. But this achievement is not mine alone. I share it with Rashmi Verma, Co-Founder & CTO of MapmyIndia, without whom this journey would never have begun. I also dedicate this award to Rohan Verma, Director at MapmyIndia, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental in scaling the company and driving technological advancements in our solutions. I extend this recognition to everyone who has contributed to building MapmyIndia, and most importantly, to our country — India.

“My sincere thanks to the Geospatial World Forum and the esteemed jury for this incredible honour. This award is a tribute to the enduring spirit of Indian enterprise and innovation. I hope the MapmyIndia journey, and our success in building world-class geospatial technology, inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators to dream boldly and build indigenously."

Established in 2007, the Geospatial World Forum Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding contributions by professionals, institutions, government bodies, and businesses in the global geospatial ecosystem. Winners are selected through a rigorous and credible evaluation process led by an eminent international jury. This year's jury was chaired by Dr. Greg Scott (Australia), Director, SDG Data Alliance, PVBLIC Foundation, and included Dr. Nadine Alameh (USA), Director, Taylor Geospatial Institute; Willy Govender (South Africa), CEO, Terra Group; Sallie Payne (Belgium), Secretary General, EuroGeographics; and Raj Alla (India), CEO, IIC Technologies.