Mapmyindia.com the leading service provider for digital maps and consumer navigation has launched the product iNav, which comes in two forms, iNav Connect and iNav Loaded.

The iNav Connect is powered by Wayfinder navigator, an easy to use online navigation system. This requires constant connectivity with the server for showing the maps with voice guidance, rotating modes, updated 2D maps, and support for night mode. The license for Wayfinder is transferable to any other mobile. For this service the phone requires built-in GPS or external bluetooth GPS receiver and carrier connectivity in the form of GPRS/EDGE/ 3G/ UMTS. Ths provides to locations and navigation with the aid of all India maps. Here’ a list of compatible phones. This also includes access to Mywayfinder, an online tool for planning navigational journeys.

The iNav Loaded product comes pre-loaded on SD card that provides real-time turn-by-turn directions turning the phone to a navigation companion. The SD card comes preloaded with MapmyIndia map and navigation software, along with quick-start guide. The user can choose between All India maps and state maps currently few states like Maharastra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi NCR, West Bengal, and Chandigarh Metro are covered. More state wise details here. The fully features software includes voice instructions, search interesting locations and destinations, routes between two points, re-routing for particular missed turns, detours to assist for short cuts and differing routes and storing of favorite locations. For the iNav Loaded product, GPRS is not required, all you need is phone with GPS or assisted bluetooth GPS, SD card slot and Windows Mobile OS.

Excerpts from press coverage [ via deepikaglobal ]

Talking to newspersons after the launch, Company Director Rohan Verma said ”our vision is to make maps and navigation as an integral part of the country’s basic infrastructure. After making maps freely available on the internet via MapmyIndia.com and launching of MapmyIndia Navigator for in-car navigation, we hope that GPS navigation can benefit all mobile phone users across the country.” To a question, he said over 200 surveyors and 150 professionals were on job to update the maps. Every six months it would be updated.

Mr Verma said its wide net work includes 2,80,000 points of interest across 52 categories, such as ATMs, restaurants, petrol pumps and police stations. As many as 55,000 towns and villages, landmarks in 150 cities, national and state highways and detailed street, by-lane, locality, sub-locality and comprehensive points of 18 major cities were available for the users, he added.