CE Info Systems, the New Delhi based ‘in-car GPS-based navigation devices Company’, has launched its location finding device, MapmyIndia Navigator, which is an in-car global positioning system (GPS) navigation device to make driving and locating sites easier in India.

Pre-loaded digitized Survey of India maps and real-time voice guidance, the portable interactive device, MapmyIndia Navigator, comes loaded with maps of Indian roads, both state- and national- highways, linking together 55,000 towns and villages, complete with landmarks. It enables seamless travel throughout India, within or between cities and villages. MapmyIndia navigator’s real-time voice support for each and every road turn instructs the driver about current location as well as locations to be arrived at.

Offering entire details of streets, localities, landmarks, ATMs, hospitals, and cafeterias, based in 18 major cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mohali, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Thane, and Pune, the MapmyIndia device can be placed on the dashboard or windshield of a car, and functions via a satellite system. It can also be carried in hand while sitting in the backseat.

MapmyIndia guides the driver turn-by-turn, tells the location and direction, distance and the estimated time to reach the destination, along with auto detour and re-routing, and comes with music, games and movies. The GPS chip has to be upgraded annually for a fee.

MapmyIndia maps are available for the Internet, mobile phones and cars. Its users include over 500 corporate and government customers over the last 15 years.

Currently priced Rs 21,000-22,000, the navigator is available in two models at 50 dealers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Chandigarh. It can be purchased through the MapmyIndia.com Web site. The device will be available across 2,000 retail outlets across 1,000 urban centres and five lakh towns and villages by the end of 2008.

According to Rahul Verma director of CE Info Systems, the market for in-car GPS navigation systems is rising across the world, and the Indian car navigation market currently has the potential for one lakh devices. In the year 2006, 20 million personal navigation devices were sold in the US, and another 30 million in Europe. In India, the product has been introduced only two years ago, and is slowly catching on.

Rahul Verma told that the company will invest around Rs 20 crore in sales and distribution in the next one year. It’ll put in an equal sum to create the digitized maps.

CE Info Systems is one of the leading automobile companies, handset and personal navigation device makers, software providers, mobile operators, Internet portals and retail and distribution networks of cars, accessories and consumer electronic products.

Presently, CE Info Systems is outsourcing the MapmyIndia navigator device from Delphi and Amax. It's available in two variants; Delphi NAV 200, and Amax 06GP5A with built-in GPS (SirfStar III) having 3.5-inches color touch-screen backed by Samsung 400 MHz processor. The touch-screen even allows playing music, games, and viewing movies and photos.