Geo-Spatial Technologies offer powerful tools that help visualize real-world problems and solve them through map-based solutions to make society safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Monica Chandni, our next pathbreaker, Consultant – GIS at Arcadis, leverages visualization technologies such as maps for environmental planning, assessment and remediation, monitoring forests and wildlife, supporting disaster recovery, planning safer cities and contributing to the larger mission of sustainable development.

Monica talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her career in GIS (Geographic Information  System) which is very hands-on and application-based, that is being used in almost every domain such as weather studies, forests, electricity, transport, cities, environment and more.

For students, this is a field that requires many creative minds to solve bigger problems that our world faces. Its a career that will challenge you !

Monica, tell us what were your growing up years like?

I am Monica Chandni, and I come from a family of engineers. I did my schooling in  a government-aided school in a small town in South Tamil Nadu. Right from  childhood, apart from regular school, I attended many extra-curricular activities  like Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, Karate, Swimming, Yoga, Typewriting and  even Programming (Visual Basic). My parents motivated and encouraged me to  participate in every opportunity available around me. My school life was  extremely busy, and at that time I didn’t fully understand the purpose of being  involved in so many things. But looking back now, I realise that those experiences  instilled qualities like determination, resilience and self-confidence, and they have  shaped who I am today.

From a very young age, I was fascinated by stars and planets. I loved reading too,  especially books related to Astronomy. In high school, Geography and Physics  naturally became my favourite subjects. These early interests and experiences are  the main reasons I chose to pursue a career in the geospatial field.

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

I did my Bachelors degree in B.E Geo-Informatics and Masters degree in  M.E Geomatics.

What were some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in Geo-Informatics?

After my schooling, I wanted to choose an engineering stream that  was different from the usual domains like Civil, Mechanical or IT.  While going through the available options, I came across this field  called ‘Geo-Informatics’. It was completely new to me, so I looked at  the syllabus and it immediately felt extremely interesting. Studying about the Earth, Satellites, Coordinates, Remote Sensing,  Photogrammetry, Basic Physics, Geography, and Information  Science, it had all the elements that naturally aligned with my  interests.

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how  did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path

In college, I found my domain extremely interesting, so I worked hard and  maintained a good GPA. Geo-Informatics or GIS (Geographic Information  System) is a very hands-on and application-based field. The amazing thing  about GIS is that it can be used in almost any area such as weather studies, forests,  electricity, transport, cities, environment and more.

During my studies, I did an internship at the Indian Meteorological  Department, where I created maps showing rainfall and weather patterns  in Tamil Nadu. My undergraduate project was with the Tamil Nadu  Electricity Board, working on GPS and mapping of electricity transmission  lines. My postgraduate project was on using Neural Networks to monitor  carbon content in trees across Tamil Nadu, with guidance from the Forest  Department. These projects showed me how broad and meaningful this  field can be.

After college, I got selected through campus placement and joined L&T  Construction in 2016. This was the time when digital technologies were  becoming very important. I was part of a special team that used GIS to  support many construction domains like Buildings, Railways, Metro,  Bridges, Water Supply, Power Transmission and Smart Cities. Because GIS  was still new, I spent a lot of time talking to engineers from different  departments, understanding their needs and building map-based solutions  for them. The map-based solutions and apps we developed were very different from the maps we use in everyday life. One of the major uses of GIS in the construction industry is progress monitoring. We used map-based progress monitoring applications to track and monitor construction and execution progress across all project sites.

For example, water projects included details such as water pipelines, sewer pipelines, water meters and other related assets plotted on interactive maps. Users could click on any asset and view the related information anytime, anywhere. Daily progress updates were entered by site engineers through mobile apps, which were instantly reflected in an integrated dashboard. These dashboards were periodically reviewed by senior leadership and project management teams to track overall project progress. These applications became a huge success, as they enabled officials at headquarters to monitor multiple project sites across the world in real time.

Another notable project involved digitally capturing the locations of electricity transmission lines and poles that were to be constructed in remote villages. Until then, these details were collected manually using pen and paper. Transferring this information to official drawings for calculating the bill of materials and obtaining approvals from government officials was a very time-consuming process. After introducing GIS-based mobile and web applications, site engineers were able to capture all the required details directly in the mobile app and instantly sync them to the web platform. Bill of materials calculation and drawing printouts were predefined and automated, making the process much faster and more accurate. This approach helped the project team complete submissions in record-breaking time, and they received significant appreciation from government officials.

Another important application involved using IoT integrated with GIS to track and monitor the health, location, and working status of construction assets. In a large organization like L&T, with construction sites spread across the world, thousands of construction vehicles and machinery are used daily. Using GIS, we created an integrated dashboard that connected and monitored more than 10,000 assets. From a single screen, leadership and project management teams could track asset status such as on/off condition, fuel levels, and maintenance requirements.

There were also several other interesting map-based applications, including tracking solar panels, visualising 3D models of water tanks, geofencing applications, and more. All the work we did was new, challenging, and extremely exciting. I worked at L&T for almost eight years before moving into the environmental field.

Now, at Arcadis, I  work on maps and solutions for Environmental Planning and Remediation  projects.

Looking back, each internship, project and job helped me understand a new  side of GIS and guided me step by step into the career I have today.

How did you get your first break?

I got my first break through campus placement, where I was selected to join  L&T Construction. When I received the offer, I actually had two teams to  choose from. Both were related to GIS, but the type of work was different. One was the Surveying Team, which focused more on field work, using  instruments, LIDAR, drones and collecting data on the ground. The other  was the Digital Team, which worked on creating map-based web and mobile  applications. Since I had an interest in programming from a very young age,  I chose the Digital Team. That decision became the starting point of my  career in building geospatial digital solutions.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

Challenge 1: Power of effective speaking and writing skills. Once I started working, I realised how important communication is. It’s  not just about being fluent in a language, but about how you use it every  day like speaking in meetings, writing emails, asking the right questions,  and working with different teams. Good speaking and writing skills may  seem simple, but they play a huge role in how well you grow in your  career. I improved this by observing others, practising often, and slowly  becoming more confident.

Challenge 2: Being scared of making mistakes.

In the beginning, I wanted everything to be perfect. I worried too much  about doing something wrong. But over time, I learned that the people  who try more, experiment more, and sometimes make mistakes, actually learn the fastest. Being open, curious and willing to explore helped me  grow much more than trying to be perfect.

Challenge 3: Learning to ask for help.

I grew up in a mindset where asking for help sometimes felt like a  weakness. But in the workplace, it is the opposite. Asking for help can save time, open doors, and help you learn things quickly. Once I understood  this, I became more comfortable reaching out and it made a big difference  in my career.

Where do you work now?  What problems do you solve?

I currently work in the field of Environmental Planning and Remediation. I  use map-based technologies to help solve real-world environmental  problems.

In one project, we identify which plant and animal species that might be  affected during vegetation management (like tree cutting) in forest  areas.

Another project supports disaster remediation, where we map the  information needed to rebuild houses damaged by natural disasters  like cyclones or floods.

In another project, we work on utility route mapping, which helps  bring electricity from offshore wind turbines to the city centre.

All these projects use maps and geospatial analysis to support safer,  sustainable decisions.

What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?

Along with what I learned in college, two skills have been extremely  important for me:

• Creative problem-solving

• Design thinking

GIS is an application-oriented field, which means the only limit is how well you can understand people’s problems and think of ways to help them. I  learned these skills by always connecting what I learned in class to the real world, and trying to understand how the same concepts were used in actual  projects to solve real world problems. This approach expanded my  understanding and helped me come up with new ideas.

What’s a typical day like?

I’ve worked in two different types of roles:

1. Managerial Role

I start my day checking the tasks for the day, reviewing what was done yesterday, and identifying what problems need attention. I spend time  talking to project stakeholders, understanding their needs, and planning  how to deliver the solutions. I also conduct meetings with clients to  understand if the project is on track and it delivers according to their  requirements.

2. Individual Contributor Role

Here, my day is more technical. I check the tasks assigned to me for the day. Most of them are single day delivery work. I work mainly with GIS software and models to run analyses and prepare maps or map-based solutions. It involves less talking and more focused technical work. Here I  am also more open to trying out new techniques and process improvements to make my work faster and efficient.

What is it you love about this job?  

I identify creativity, communication and problem-solving as my major  strengths and interests. I get the opportunity to apply all of these in my job.  Visualizing real-world problems to solve them through map-based solutions – this fundamentally defines what I do. Another thing I love about  this job is that I can see how my everyday work is making a difference in the  world. All work has good days and tough days. During those difficult days, this realization gives me even more motivation to keep going.

How does your work benefit society? 

My work helps solve problems that range from simple, everyday tasks like  finding safe and efficient routes, to much bigger global challenges like  climate change. Wherever maps are used, some form of benefit is created.

In my early career, I worked on construction-related projects. This included  improving site safety, tracking construction progress and managing  construction assets. These solutions helped make construction sites safer,  more organised and more efficient.

In my current role, I focus more on environmental planning, assessment, and remediation. This means using maps to protect forests and wildlife,  support disaster recovery, plan safer cities and contribute to sustainable  development.

Through all these projects, the goal is the same: using geospatial technology to make society safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close  to you!

The first big project I worked on after starting my career was a mobile app for construction site users. At first, I felt completely overwhelmed. The real-world problems we faced during implementation were very different  from what I had studied in college.

Creating this app taught me an important lesson: “All things seem difficult  at first, but if you ask the right questions, learn the skills you need, and  follow a good plan, you can achieve anything.”

I was able to build the first working version and officially launch it in front of the CEO and the entire senior leadership team—just eight months after  joining my career! There was even a special networking lunch with all the  top leaders of the company. The app launch was a huge success, and we received amazing feedback from the people using the app on-site.

Later, the same app was customized for many other purposes, and it is still  being used successfully even after eight years. This experience is very  close to my heart because it showed me that persistence, learning and  collaboration can really pay off.

Your advice to students based on your experience?

From my experience, there are two important things you need to focus on  to achieve something great: Credibility and Visibility.

• Credibility is your foundation. It can come from things like a proper  degree, certifications or professional recognition like chartership.  These show that you have the knowledge and skills to be trusted in  your field.

• Visibility is equally important. Many people think that if they just do their job quietly, opportunities will automatically come to them, but  that rarely happens. You need to make yourself visible, share your  work, connect with people and let others know what you are capable  of.

Having both credibility and visibility creates a strong combination that  opens doors and helps you achieve your goals.

Future Plans?

In the future, I want to continue using maps and geospatial technology to  solve real-world problems, from protecting the environment and planning safer cities to helping communities recover from natural disasters. I see  every project as an opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s  lives. I also want to keep learning and exploring new technologies in GIS  and environmental planning so I can create even more innovative solutions. My strengths like creativity, communication, and leadership will guide me to take on challenging projects and work with diverse teams to  bring ideas to life.

Ultimately, my goal is to leave a lasting impact to contribute to a smarter,  safer and more sustainable world while being an inspiration and motivation  to others.