Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has recently praised yet another Indian innovation, this time not from his own company but a homegrown navigation app called Mappls. Developed by Indian digital mapping firm MapmyIndia, Mappls has caught attention after Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw encouraged citizens to try the “Swadeshi ‘Mappls’” app.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu described the app as “very nice” and highlighted that it reflects “decades of R&D, much longer than Google Maps.” This endorsement came in response to Vaishnaw’s post, in which the minister wrote, “Swadeshi ‘Mappls’ by MapmyIndia Good features must try!” Vaishnaw also shared a video demonstrating the app’s functionalities, referring to Mappls as a credible Indian alternative to foreign mapping services.

Launched by MapmyIndia—a company established in 1995—Mappls offers detailed navigation, live traffic updates, and enhanced privacy protections. The app is built on nearly three decades of mapping infrastructure, developed entirely within India. Among its standout features are 3D junction views, which provide accurate renderings of over-bridges and underpasses to prevent navigation errors, and indoor navigation that allows users to locate individual shops or offices inside multi-level buildings.

Mappls also introduces innovative digital addressing systems like Mappls PIN and DigiPIN, which divide India into 3.8-metre square grids. This ensures even remote or rural locations are accurately mapped. If a Mappls PIN is unavailable, the app generates one using the nearest landmark, enabling precise addressing across the country.

For everyday commuters, the app provides live traffic light countdowns, speed and safety alerts, toll cost estimates, and real-time route updates. It supports multiple Indian languages and prioritizes user data privacy by storing information within India, a growing concern with international platforms like Google Maps. With over 35 million downloads already, Mappls is gaining traction among Indian users.

MapmyIndia is also exploring collaborations with the government to integrate Mappls’ geospatial data into public services such as railway systems. Additionally, the company has partnered with India Post to integrate DigiPIN into the app, enhancing address accuracy for post offices nationwide. These partnerships aim to bridge logistical gaps between urban and rural regions, improving nationwide navigation reliability.

Mappls’ rise comes at a time when the Indian government is actively promoting indigenous apps, and scrutiny of Google Maps has intensified. The international platform has faced criticism for inaccurate directions that have led drivers into potentially dangerous situations, including directing users onto incomplete bridges. Mappls, with its on-ground data collection and region-specific updates, aims to provide more reliable and locally accurate navigation.

Whether Mappls can eventually surpass Google Maps remains to be seen, but with strong endorsements from influential voices like Vembu and government backing, the app is poised to become a noteworthy contender in India’s digital mapping space.