By: Vanya Kapoor
New Delhi: In the quiet village of Bhimtal, nestled in the hills of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Singh, a truck driver, recalls the night he nearly lost his life—and his livelihood.
“I was following Google Maps to deliver a consignment of apples to a nearby town. The app led me to a narrow, crumbling road that ended at a cliff. It was pitch dark, and I had no idea where I was. I was stranded for hours until locals helped me find my way back,” he says, his voice trembling.
Singh’s truck suffered damage, and the delay cost him a day’s wages. “My employer deducted the repair costs from my salary. I lost nearly rupees 5,000 that day,” he adds. Singh’s story is not unique.
Across rural India, GPS mismanagement is causing more than just inconvenience—it’s costing lives, livelihoods, and millions of rupees.
As India’s digital infrastructure expands, so does its reliance on GPS navigation. Google Maps, the most widely used mapping service, has become an indispensable tool for millions. But in rural areas, where roads are poorly marked and terrain is unpredictable, the app’s shortcomings are glaring. From fatal accidents to financial losses, the consequences of digital mismanagement are far-reaching.
In 2022, a family of five in Maharashtra’s Satara district met with a tragic accident when their car plunged into a river following incorrect directions from Google Maps. “The map showed a bridge that didn’t exist. We trusted it blindly,” said a surviving relative.
Such incidents are becoming alarmingly common. For drivers like Singh, the stakes are even higher. “I lost a day’s work and had to pay for repairs after my truck got stuck in a ditch. My employer deducted the cost from my salary,” he says.
For many in rural India, where daily wages are meager, such losses are devastating. The logistics and delivery sector, a cornerstone of India’s growing economy, is bearing the brunt of GPS errors. E-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart, as well as food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, rely heavily on accurate navigation to meet delivery deadlines.
A delivery executive in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district shared his frustration. “I often get sent to the wrong locations, especially in remote areas. Customers get angry, and my ratings drop. Sometimes, I have to return the order, which means no payment for that trip,” he says.
For gig workers, who earn per delivery, such errors can mean a significant loss of income. Trucking companies are also feeling the pinch. “Delays caused by mismanagement mean higher fuel costs and missed delivery deadlines. Our clients penalize us for late deliveries, and it’s hurting our bottom line,” says Rajesh Kumar, owner of a small logistics firm in Rajasthan.
Kumar estimates that GPS errors cost his company ₹50,000–₹1,00,000 annually in penalties and additional fuel expenses. The ripple effects of GPS errors extend to the insurance industry.
Accidents caused by faulty navigation have led to a surge in claims. “We’ve seen a 20% increase in claims related to mismanagement in the last two years,” says an executive at a leading insurance company.
“These incidents are often avoidable, but drivers blindly follow GPS instructions without verifying the route.” For insurance companies, the financial impact is significant. “Each claim can range from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh, depending on the severity of the accident. Over time, this adds up to crores of rupees in payouts,” the executive adds.
These costs are eventually passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums. In the village of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, farmer Mohan Lal recounts how GPS errors cost him dearly.
“I was transporting a truckload of onions to the market. Google Maps led me to a remote area with no buyers. By the time I found the right location, half my produce had spoiled,” he says.
Lal estimates his loss at ₹30,000—a significant blow for a small-scale farmer. For small business owners, the impact is equally severe. “I run a bakery and rely on delivery services to reach customers. When drivers get lost, orders are delayed, and customers complain. It’s bad for business,” says Priya Sharma, a bakery owner in Punjab’s Sodal.
Sharma estimates that mismanagement costs her ₹10,000–₹15,000 monthly in lost revenue and customer dissatisfaction. Google Maps is a free service, but its parent company, Alphabet, generates significant revenue by selling APIs to logistics firms, ride-hailing platforms, and other businesses.
In 2022, Alphabet reported $28 billion in revenue from its Google Cloud segment, which includes mapping services. Despite its commercial success, Google’s investment in mapping rural India remains questionable. “Google’s mapping strategy in India is largely urban-centric. Rural areas, which are more challenging to map, receive less attention,” says a former Google Maps engineer who wished to remain anonymous.
The company’s reliance on crowdsourced data also poses challenges. “In rural areas, where fewer people use smartphones, the data is sparse and often outdated,” the engineer adds.
Indian mapping company MapMyIndia sees an opportunity in Google’s shortcomings. “We’ve been mapping India for over 25 years. Our focus is on accuracy and local context, which is especially important in rural areas,” says one of the experts of MapMyIndia.
The company has partnered with the government and private firms to provide mapping solutions tailored to India’s unique needs. “Our maps include details like toll plazas, speed breakers, and even temporary road closures, which are critical for logistics and delivery,” he explains.
However, MapMyIndia faces an uphill battle. Google’s dominance and brand recognition make it difficult for local players to gain traction. “Changing user behavior is tough. People are used to Google Maps, even if it’s not always accurate,” he added.
India’s draft geospatial policy, released in 2021, aims to regulate the collection and use of mapping data.
However, implementation has been slow, and enforcement remains weak. “The policy is a step in the right direction, but it lacks teeth. There’s no mechanism to hold companies accountable for inaccurate maps,” says a government official involved in digital infrastructure planning.
The absence of robust regulations also hampers innovation. “Without clear guidelines, companies are hesitant to invest in mapping rural areas. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation,” the official adds. In the village of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, farmer Mohan Lal recounts how GPS errors cost him dearly. “I was transporting a truckload of onions to the market. Google Maps led me to a remote area with no buyers. By the time I found the right location, half my produce had spoiled,” he says.
For small business owners, the impact is equally severe. “I run a bakery and rely on delivery services to reach customers. When drivers get lost, orders are delayed, and customers complain. It’s bad for business,” says Priya Sharma, a bakery owner in Uttar Pradesh.
Experts argue that addressing the issue requires a multi-pronged approach. “Google needs to invest more in mapping rural areas and improve the accuracy of its data.
At the same time, the government should incentivize local players and enforce stricter regulations,” says a tech policy analyst. Public-private partnerships could also play a key role. “Collaborating with local communities and businesses can help create more accurate and up-to-date maps,” suggests another expert from MapMyIndia.
On the snowy evening of February 19, 2024, three friends—Shafat Malik, Zahid Wani, and Sajad Ahmad—set off from Srinagar to Handwara in their Grand i10 to console a grieving friend’s mother following her death. The journey, spanning 71 kilometers, took place amid heavy snowfall, adding to the already challenging conditions.
However, around 11 PM, after spending several hours on the road and following Google Maps, the trio decided to turn back. Unfortunately, while nearing Rafiabad, the car skidded and crashed, ultimately getting stuck between two electric poles. The accident resulted in severe damage to the vehicle.When locals arrived at the scene and learned about their route, they explained that the friends had taken the wrong road to Srinagar, a less suitable path, while a better and shorter highway lay in the opposite direction.
To make matters worse, the vehicle’s insurance had expired, leaving the friends with the burden of paying for the repairs. The cost of fixing the car amounted to a staggering four lakhs, an expense that was far beyond their means.A Bihar family traveling to Goa followed Google Maps but ended up stranded 8 km inside a forest in Khanapur, Belagavi district, Karnataka, on December 5, 2024. After spending a night trapped in their car with no network, they contacted police the next morning.
Local villagers helped rescue them using GPS coordinates next Day. The increase in accidents due to incorrect navigation data from Google Maps has raised the need for Indian companies to develop alternative solutions suited for the country, BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade said in Parliament on February 3, 2025.“Incidents due to Google Maps errors in India are becoming a more serious issue,” Dr. Gopchade said during Zero Hour.
“In Kerala recently, two 29-year-old doctors died when they were navigating using Google Maps and their car fell into the Periyar river. There was a similar incident in Bareilly [in Uttar Pradesh], when a car fell into a river while following Google Maps directions.”
These incidents show the consequences of over-reliance on technological solutions, the MP said, adding: “These incidents show that directions on Google Maps are not always correct.”Dr. Gopchade called for collaboration between Indian start-ups, companies, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop mapping solutions suited for local needs. This will reduce “our reliance on global platforms like Google Maps,” Dr. Gopchade said.
BBC quoted a Google Maps expert as saying that while the app strives to provide the best possible directions, the responsibility for ensuring safety lies with both the app and the infrastructure. The expert highlighted that Google Maps uses available data to generate routes, but it cannot predict real-time changes, such as unfinished roads or unexpected hazards.
He emphasized the importance of users exercising caution and using their judgment, especially in unfamiliar areas. The expert further mentioned that Google is continuously working to improve the accuracy of its navigation and collaborates with local authorities to update maps with better infrastructure data.
