Background

The idea of Centre of Excellence (CoE) was conceptualised and supported by Department of Land Resources, GoI to strengthen knowledge, innovation, and capacity building in the domain of land governance, with a focus on evidence-based research, digital tools, policy dialogue, and stakeholder engagement. CoEs established at different state institutions, over last years, have been supporting the Government of India’s priorities on land records modernization, and improved land administration systems, by supporting capacity building of state officials as well as through relevant research, publications and collaborations.

The India Land and Development Conference (ILDC) is a key multi-stakeholder platform for advancing land governance conversations nationally and globally. ILDC 9 provides an excellent platform to share and disseminate achievements, experiences and learnings of CoEs, among each other and also with a wider audience. It also extends an opportunity to CoEs to interact with latest developments and research happening in India and globally in the land admin ecosystem, while also getting introduced to key actors and institutions.

Objectives of CoE Session at ILDC 9

Knowledge Sharing – Present the CoE’s ongoing research and analytical work on land governance, including evidence from states and best practices in implementation of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

Showcasing State Innovations – Demonstrate digital platforms, data dashboards, and tools developed for improved land records management, tenure security, and land-use planning.

Capacity Building & Partnerships – Highlight training programs, and multi-stakeholder partnerships facilitated by the CoE to strengthen institutional capacities.

Policy Engagement – Provide a platform for discussion with policymakers, including DoLR, to align CoE initiatives with national priorities in land governance.

Cross Learning and Networking – Learning from more than 70 sessions and plenaries across 3-days at ILDC2025 around different dimensions of land administrations and latest developments, while also networking with relevant actors/institutions

Expected Outcomes

· Enhanced visibility of CoE as an Innovation in modernizing land governance.

· Dissemination of CoE knowledge products and digital tools to a wider audience.

· Strengthened partnerships between government, academia, and civil society actors in land governance.

· Identification of future areas for research, policy support, and capacity building to align with national land governance priorities.

Way Forward

The CoE seeks DoLR’s guidance and support for their participation in ILDC2025. It also proposes to co-host the thematic session in collaboration with DoLR to showcase the Government’s commitment to strengthening land governance in India.