From Raw Maps to Real Impact: Building with Open Data in India (Without Losing Your Mind)

Open data is often seen as a silver bullet for solving real-world problems. In reality, working with open datasets in India is far from straightforward.

In this talk, I’ll share my experience building solar and civic-tech applications using open data sources such as OpenStreetMap, weather datasets, and geospatial APIs and the unexpected challenges that come with them.

This session will cover:

• Why “open” does not always mean “usable” in real-world datasets

• Common issues in Indian open datasets:

  • Missing or inconsistent building footprints

  • Misaligned geospatial data

  • Gaps in weather and environmental datasets

• How I approached these challenges while building solar estimation workflows
  Reference : https://kuruk.am/ni2UQE

• A practical pipeline for working with open data:

  • Data sourcing → validation → cleaning → transformation → visualisation

• Designing modular systems using FOSS tools to handle unreliable data

• Trade-offs between accuracy, scalability, and development effort

• Where developers can contribute:

  • Improving datasets (e.g., OpenStreetMap)

  • Documentation and tooling

  • Building better abstractions over raw data

Rather than presenting an idealised view, this talk focuses on the messy reality of open data—and how developers can still build meaningful, impactful solutions despite it.

• A realistic understanding of challenges in using open data in India

• A practical approach to designing open data pipelines

• Insights into handling imperfect and inconsistent datasets

• How to leverage FOSS tools for real-world applications

• Clear ways developers can contribute to improving open data ecosystems

• Lessons from building production-like solar and civic-tech applications