Nagpur: Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved the conversion of the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) into a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013, replacing its existing registration under the Societies Act, 1860, in a move aimed at strengthening the use of geospatial technology in governance.The decision, cleared at a cabinet meeting chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to enhance the Nagpur-based centre’s operational flexibility and enable faster implementation of projects across sectors such as road development, urban planning, water conservation, mining and digital land assessment systems.Established in 1988 to support planning and decision-making through geospatial inputs, MRSAC has played a key role in projects including regional development plans, Jalyukt Shivar, watershed development, e-panchnama, MahaAgritech, mangrove studies, groundwater management & mineral mapping. The institution operates sub-centres in Pune and Mumbai.MRSAC officials said the transition to a company structure would allow integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), web services and cloud computing into its projects, aligning with governance needs.“The transformation reflects the changing role and expanding scope of MRSAC in a technology-driven administrative framework,” the govt noted, underlining the need for institutional restructuring to meet future challenges.The newly formed company will have its registered office in Nagpur, with the chief secretary serving as its chairperson. The cabinet also approved the creation of a managing director’s post, while retaining existing positions within the new structure.The board of directors will include senior officials from key departments such as finance, planning, revenue, urban development, rural development and information technology, along with representatives from institutions like the Geo-Spatial Data Centre, Pune, and IISER, Pune. Experts and scientists also will be inducted to strengthen technical oversight.Restructuring is expected to streamline coordination across departments and improve efficiency of data-driven governance initiatives in Maharashtra, per officials.
