NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is initiating a pilot project utilizing drones and advanced mapping technologies to enhance property tax assessment.
Officials note that this initiative aims to identify properties that have not been assessed or are under-assessed, thereby addressing revenue losses.
This pilot project follows the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with four agencies on June 2, under the “Pilot Drone-based Geospatial Survey and Digital Twin Initiative.”
The agencies will independently carry out surveys employing drone-based aerial imagery, LiDAR mapping, GIS asset mapping, Digital Twin technology, 3D city modeling, and advanced data analytics, with no financial burden on the MCD.
An official from the MCD indicated that the technology aims to enhance the accuracy of property records and strengthen tax administration by identifying properties that are either unregistered or undervalued.
Beyond improving property tax collection, this initiative is anticipated to assist in urban planning and create a comprehensive geospatial database for civic services and governance, according to civic officials.
The pilot will enable the MCD to assess the effectiveness of various technologies and survey methods before determining whether to extend the initiative throughout Delhi.
“Upon successful completion and evaluation of the pilot, the MCD may contemplate a broader rollout,” an official stated, adding that this effort will help outline the estimated number of houses within the MCD’s jurisdiction.
Reportedly, the MCD collected approximately Rs 3,116 crore in property tax for the fiscal year 2025-26, serving around 13,52,500 taxpayers, though it fell short of its target of Rs 3,500 crore.
Officials indicated that this pilot is expected to enhance tax compliance, expand the taxpayer base, and minimize revenue losses by bringing more taxable properties into the fold.
According to provisional data from the House Listing Operations (HLO) conducted by census officials for Census 2027, enumerators recorded 75,98,982 census houses and 54,98,560 households across Delhi’s 13 districts.
