Department of Survey

What Department of Survey does

The Survey Department of Sri Lanka is the national surveying and mapping organization of Sri Lanka, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation. Established on 2 August 1800 as the Ceylon Survey Department, it is the oldest government department in Sri Lanka and serves as the sole statutory authority for all surveying, mapping, cadastral, and geodetic activities under the Survey Act and the Title Registration Act No. 21 of 1998. The department executes its mandate through a Colombo headquarters, the Institute of Surveying and Mapping training academy in Diyathalawa, nine Provincial Surveyor General offices, and 25 district survey offices spanning all administrative districts of the country. Its core service lines comprise cadastral, engineering, geodetic and aerial surveys, together with remote sensing, photogrammetry, GIS, land information systems, and flood-hazard mapping.

Its technology platform is built on an integrated spatial stack: a Continuous Operating Reference Station network (SLCORSnet) delivering real-time GNSS positioning, a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) for cross-government data sharing, an Integrated Land Administration System (iLAS) built on ArcGIS, an OpenLayers-based Geospatial Data Service, a Metadata Navigation Service, a GeoNames portal, a Control Point Search service, a Requisition Status Tracking system, and a digital Map Portal. These sit alongside the Land Information System, Surveyor General Plan Copy Application, and dashboards for land grant surveying. The combined stack provides web-based access to cadastral records, geodetic control points, topographic and thematic maps, LiDAR data, satellite imagery, digitized maps, and aerial photography extracts delivered in GIS and CAD formats.

The department's revenue model is predominantly a government budget allocation of approximately Rs. 2,200 million per year from Sri Lanka's national budget, supplemented by nominal fees for survey plan copies, digital data products, and printed maps sold through the Customer Service Division Sales Outlet. It serves three primary customer segments: central and provincial government agencies requiring land and spatial data for planning and administration, citizens requiring survey plans, subdivision approvals, and property title documentation, and a secondary segment of planners, industrialists, and licensed surveyors requiring control point data and standardized mapping. The department markets through its official website survey.gov.lk, a Facebook presence, and participation in national exhibitions and government tender processes.

Name

Department of Survey

Legal name

Survey Department of Sri Lanka

Website

https://survey.gov.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1800

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Survey Department of Sri Lanka is the national surveying, mapping, and land information authority, providing cadastral, geodetic, GIS, and remote sensing services to government agencies, citizens, and licensed surveyors across all 25 districts of the country.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Surveying and Mapping Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMANAM

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Maps, Location & Navigation Platforms

SECONDARYIMAMAJAB

Forest Inventory, Mapping & Monitoring (GIS/Remote Sensing/MRV)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYBPAIAMAC

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

Keywords

• Land surveying services
• Cadastral mapping
• Geospatial data
• Geodetic surveys
• Topographic mapping

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: The Department operates under the Ministry of Land and Land Development with annual national budget allocation of approximately Rs. 2200 million for surveying and mapping activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Survey Department of Sri Lanka is the national authority for land surveying and mapping, performing cadastral surveys, geodetic control, aerial photography, hydrographic and engineering surveys, remote sensing, and producing topographic, thematic, tourist and digital maps. It also maintains the national GNSS reference station network (CORS), operates geospatial web platforms and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and provides cadastral plans and land information services to government agencies and the public.

Product overview

The Sri Lanka Survey Department operates as a comprehensive national surveying and mapping organization offering a unified portfolio of land information services. The core offerings include Land Information System, Cadastral Surveys, Engineering Surveys, and Aerial/Remote Sensing services, supplemented by Geodetic Survey capabilities (Geodetic Surveys, National Grid System, CORS Network). The department provides digital and printed mapping products including Topographic Maps, Thematic Maps, Tourist Maps, Road Maps, and Publications. Multiple web-based services support geospatial data access including Metadata Navigation, GeoNames updating, Control Point Search, Requisition Status tracking, iLAS (Integrated Land Administration System), Geospatial Data Service, and the SLCORSnet real-time positioning network. These products function as an integrated ecosystem where surveying and mapping services feed into the Land Information System, which in turn supports cadastral and engineering survey operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Data MOU for sharing spatial data in support of humanitarian operations. The department provides geographic and land-related data to support disaster response and humanitarian coordination efforts.
• Department of Agrarian DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU for cooperation in land-related information sharing. Both departments work together on land administration matters affecting agricultural land and rural development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Esri: Global incumbent in GIS software (ArcGIS) used by SLSD for iLAS and map portal; broader commercial alternative that competes for high-value GIS workloads outside the statutory core.
• Hexagon AB (Leica Geosystems): Global geospatial and surveying technology group (Leica Geosystems) competing in CORS, GNSS, and spatial data analytics — a broad incumbent overlapping with SLSD's geodetic and remote sensing portfolio.
• Trimble Inc. Major commercial provider of surveying hardware, GNSS receivers, and geospatial software widely used by surveyors; competes on equipment and software dimensions adjacent to SLSD's mandate.

Direct peers

• Land Information New Zealand (LINZ): New Zealand's national land information agency maintaining the cadaster, geodetic system, and authoritative mapping data — closely parallel to the Sri Lanka Survey Department's mandate and product set.
• Survey of India: India's national surveying and mapping organization with a comparable legal monopoly over geodetic, topographic, and cadastral surveys and a similar national CORS/gIS infrastructure serving government and citizens.
• Swisstopo (Federal Office of Topography): Switzerland's national mapping agency delivering national topographic maps, geodetic services, and digital geospatial platforms — a strong analogue for a small national surveying organization with advanced digital services.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): U.S. federal agency producing national topographic mapping, remote sensing, and geospatial datasets (e.g., National Map, EarthExplorer), analogous to a sovereign surveying and mapping organization.
• Ordnance Survey: UK's national mapping agency operating under a similar statutory mandate for authoritative national surveying, mapping, and geospatial data, with comparable services including digital mapping platforms and licensed data products.
• Geoscience Australia: Australia's national geoscience and geospatial agency responsible for national mapping, geodesy, and Earth observation data — directly comparable in mandate to produce authoritative national spatial data.
• Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG): Germany's federal mapping and geodetic agency providing authoritative national spatial data, CORS, and geodetic reference systems comparable in scope to SLSD.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Survey-Department-of-srilanka-1439567676330927
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-survey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Department of Survey