Geospatial Open Building Stack (GOBS)

Get the GOBS Dataset

Building-level data for 37 States & UTs and 180 M+ buildings, free for non-commercial use. Tell us how you will use it, and once your request is approved we will email you a temporary download link.

Request accessView data dictionary
37States & UTs Covered
180 M+Building Records
14Fields per Record
FreeFor Non-commercial Use

What you get

Every release is the same standard file. It cannot be customised.

Compressed CSV only

One gzip-compressed CSV (.csv.gz) in the standard GOBS schema. It opens in Python, R, QGIS or any tool that reads CSV. No other formats are offered.

14 fixed columns

Location, footprint, height, floors, built-up area, land use and confidence flags. Columns cannot be added or removed.

latitudelongitudearea_in_metersconfidencefull_plus_codeperimeterbuilding_heightbuilding_floorlandusetotal_built_upstate_namedistrict_nameis_predictedprediction_confidence
Full data dictionary 

India, state or district

Request only the geography your work needs: all of India, one or more of the 37 States & UTs, or specific districts. Smaller requests are reviewed faster.

Non-commercial licence

Free for research, teaching, public-interest and planning work. Every public output must cite GOBS (see How to cite).

How it works

From request to download in four steps

  1. 1

    Submit a request

    Fill in the form below, describe your work in at least 80 words and verify your email with a code.

  2. 2

    We review it

    The GOBS team checks every request, usually within 5 working days.

  3. 3

    Get your link

    If approved, a download link is emailed to you. It expires after 48 hours.

  4. 4

    Download and cite

    Use the data for the purpose you described and cite GOBS in your outputs.

Data access request

Complete every section. Incomplete or vague requests will not be processed.

Before you apply
  • GOBS is free and for non-commercial use only. Requests linked to revenue, paid clients or paid products will be declined.
  • Data is supplied only as compressed CSV (.csv.gz) in the standard GOBS schema. Columns cannot be added, removed or customised.
  • If approved, you will receive a temporary download link by email. The link expires after 48 hours and cannot be reused.
  • Incomplete forms, or a use description that is vague, copied, or placeholder text, will not be processed.
1Applicant

Organisation type

Institutional email preferred. We will send a verification code to this address when you submit.

2Data requested

Coverage

3Intended use

Primary purpose

Will this use earn revenue or serve a paying client?

Expected outputs

Will raw data be shared outside your team?

Will the data be used to train ML / AI models?

Tell us who you are, what project this is for, what question the data will help answer, which geography you will analyse and why, and what you will produce. Write in your own words.

Minimum 80 words.

Word count: 0 / 80 minimum

4Terms of use

By submitting, you agree to the following.

  1. Non-commercial only. The data may not be sold, used for a paying client, or built into a paid product or service.
  2. Stated purpose only. Use is limited to the purpose and geography described in this form. A new purpose needs a new request.
  3. No redistribution. Do not share, upload or republish the raw files. Maps, charts, statistics and findings derived from the data may be published freely.
  4. Attribution. Every public output must cite: "Source: GOBS, Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). Jindal, R., Johnson, J. & Kumar, S. (2025)." and credit Google Open Buildings and © OpenStreetMap contributors.
  5. Upstream licences. GOBS draws on Google Open Buildings (CC BY 4.0 / ODbL) and OpenStreetMap (ODbL). You are responsible for complying with these licences.
  6. Prohibited uses. No surveillance of individuals, eviction or displacement planning, military targeting, or discriminatory profiling.
  7. Traceable releases. Each release may carry unique identifiers so that leaked copies can be traced back to the request.
  8. Revocation. AEEE may decline any request without giving reasons and may refuse future requests if these terms are breached.
  9. No warranty. Data is provided as is, without any guarantee of accuracy or completeness.
5Declaration

Still needed: organisation name, organisation type, applicant name, valid email, coverage, primary purpose, revenue answer, expected outputs, raw data sharing answer, ML / AI answer, 80-word description, both declarations

How to cite GOBS

This work is associated with a Data Descriptor paper currently in preparation. If you use GOBS data in a paper, report, map or dashboard, please use the following citation:

Jindal, R., Johnson, J. & Kumar, S. (2025). A geospatial dataset of building stock and height for building-level analysis in India.

Please also credit Google Open Buildings and © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Common questions

Can I get only some columns, or a shapefile?

No. Every release is the same .csv.gz file with all 14 columns. Latitude and longitude let you convert it to any GIS format yourself.

My download link has expired. What now?

Write to gobs@aeee.in with your reference number. If the purpose is unchanged we can reissue the link.

Can a consultancy or company use GOBS?

Only for non-commercial work, such as a grant-funded public study. Work for paying clients or paid products is not permitted.

How do I cite GOBS?

Use the citation in "How to cite GOBS" above: Jindal, R., Johnson, J. & Kumar, S. (2025). A geospatial dataset of building stock and height for building-level analysis in India. Also credit Google Open Buildings and © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Why was my request returned?

The most common reasons are a description that is too short or generic, missing organisation details, or a purpose that looks commercial.