Master ArcGIS, QGIS, Python for GIS and Google Earth Engine through real Kerala case studies β from the Vembanad backwaters to coastal mangrove belts and urban wetlands. Walk into our Kochi lab for hands-on offline training, or join live online from anywhere else in Kerala.
Celebrate Kerala’s harvest festival by enrolling in your GIS & Remote Sensing journey β Onam pricing applies to both the Kochi offline classroom and every live online batch across Kerala.
May this season of Thiruvonam bring abundance, learning and new beginnings. From all of us at Space Borne β here’s to mapping a brighter Kerala together, one satellite pixel at a time.
We made a deliberate choice: Kochi gets a full offline, in-person classroom experience because it’s our base and we can guarantee lab seats, hardware, and instructor time on the ground. Every other city in Kerala gets the exact same curriculum, the exact same instructors, and the exact same project outcomes β delivered live online so geography never blocks your learning.
In-person classroom sessions at our Kochi training center. Bring your own laptop (QGIS, ArcGIS and Python setup guided on day one). Face-to-face doubt-clearing and peer learning.
Offline Β· ClassroomLive online classes streamed in real time, with screen-share labs and recorded sessions for revision.
Online Β· LiveSame instructor-led live sessions as every other city, with 1:1 doubt sessions over video call.
Online Β· LiveFull live access to all labs, datasets and the Kochi cohort’s project reviews.
Online Β· LiveLive online training with the same Kerala-specific case studies used in the Kochi classroom.
Online Β· LiveWherever you are in Kerala (or outside it), you join the same live online batch as Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode learners.
Online Β· Live“Space-borne” simply means the sensor is mounted on a satellite rather than a drone or an aircraft. It sounds like a small distinction, but it changes everything about how fast, how cheap, and how reliably you can monitor land, water and vegetation β which is exactly why this course is built around satellite data first.
A single Sentinel-2 scene covers roughly 100 km Γ 100 km in one pass. Mapping that on foot or even by drone would take weeks; a satellite captures it in seconds, and does it for the entire planet on a fixed schedule.
Landsat has imaged the same locations since 1972; Sentinel-2 revisits every 5 days. That consistency lets you measure change β shoreline retreat, mangrove loss, urban sprawl β with statistical confidence, not guesswork.
Multispectral and SAR sensors capture near-infrared, shortwave-infrared and radar bands invisible to the human eye, revealing vegetation stress, soil moisture and water boundaries that no field photo would show.
Landsat and Sentinel data are free and open. Commissioning an aerial survey or fielding a ground team for the same area costs orders of magnitude more β and has to be repeated every time you need updated data.
Google Earth Engine lets you process petabytes of satellite imagery in a browser, without owning a supercomputer. A student laptop in this course can run analyses that once required institutional infrastructure.
The same Sentinel-2 scene used to map Kochi’s urban growth can be reused for flood-risk mapping, agriculture monitoring, forest-cover assessment and coastal erosion studies β a single data source, many career paths.
Every course below follows the same delivery rule: offline classroom in Kochi, live online for the rest of Kerala. Pick the track that matches your goals β or start with the Foundation course and stack specializations on top.
Our flagship course. Covers GIS fundamentals, satellite image processing, LULC classification and Web GIS using Kerala’s coastline as the live case study.
A deep dive into cloud-based geospatial processing. Build time-series analyses, automate classification pipelines, and export production-ready map layers.
Learn to script repetitive GIS tasks, build geoprocessing tools, and work with raster/vector data programmatically using industry-standard Python libraries.
Turn static maps into interactive web applications. Build the kind of live, clickable map used elsewhere on this very page.
Specialized track focused on Kerala’s backwaters, mangrove belts and shoreline dynamics β built for environmental science and forestry professionals.
For civil engineers and urban planners β quantify built-up growth, transport corridors and land-use change around Kerala’s expanding cities.
Built around the Western Ghats foothill forests, this track covers canopy-cover assessment, watershed delineation, and deforestation alerts.
A condensed weekend-format course for engineers and planners already in employment who need a recognized GIS skill credential quickly.
Our Kochi training center is built specifically for geospatial work β not a generic computer lab. Every offline batch runs here with your own laptop, local datasets, and instructors physically present for the full session.
Guided QGIS, ArcGIS, Python and Google Earth Engine setup on your own laptop during the first session β install once, use it for every class.
Direct, face-to-face doubt-clearing during every session β no waiting in a chat queue or scheduling a callback.
Pre-loaded Kochi, Vembanad and coastal Kerala imagery so lab time goes to analysis, not downloads.
Kerala’s geography β backwaters, mangroves, paddy wetlands, laterite coasts and Western Ghats forests β makes it one of India’s richest natural laboratories for geospatial learning. Space Borne’s Kerala-focused Remote Sensing & GIS course uses Kerala’s coastal and backwater belts as live case studies, teaching you to map, classify, and analyze real natural resources instead of generic textbook data.
Download and process Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel-2 imagery covering Kerala’s coastal and backwater regions; learn band combinations and spectral indices (NDVI, NDWI, NDBI).
Classify Land Use / Land Cover for Kerala’s coastal belt β water bodies, mangroves, built-up, paddy/wetland and vegetation classes β using supervised classification in QGIS & ArcGIS.
Build interactive web maps using Leaflet.js to publish Kerala’s natural resource layers online β exactly like the live map below.
Kerala’s coastal belt sits at the confluence of major river systems and the Vembanad backwater network, making it one of the most ecologically diverse regions in India. Course modules use the following resource zones for hands-on mapping exercises:
India’s longest lake system, a Ramsar wetland site, mapped for water spread, hydrology and seasonal change detection.
Urban mangrove forests classified using NDVI & NDWI composites to study coastal ecosystem health and degradation.
Below-sea-level paddy fields near the backwater fringe, used for crop-cycle and seasonal water-level mapping.
Shoreline change and erosion analysis using multi-date satellite imagery and DSAS-style techniques.
Built-up growth around Kerala’s metro and IT corridors mapped for urban sprawl and land-use change studies.
Upstream catchment forest cover analyzed for watershed and forest-resource monitoring exercises.
This interactive Leaflet.js map marks key natural resource zones across Kerala’s coastal belt that students explore during the course. Click each marker for context.
Base map Β© OpenStreetMap contributors. Markers indicate illustrative locations of natural resource zones used in coursework.
Below are genuine LULC and NDVI maps produced by Space Borne β real classified satellite outputs, not mock-ups β showing exactly the kind of deliverable you will learn to build during this course for your own Kerala study area.
Β© Space Borne. Sample LULC output classified by Space Borne trainees from satellite imagery β built-up, agriculture, dense/open forest, water bodies and barren land. This is the kind of real classified deliverable you will learn to produce for your own chosen study area in Kerala during the course.
Β© Space Borne. Sample NDVI output showing vegetation-health gradients from sparse/stressed vegetation (pink, <0.15) to dense healthy cover (dark green, 0.28β0.41). Generated from real satellite band data using the same spectral-index workflow taught in this course.
This is the week-by-week breakdown of our flagship Foundation course. Specialization tracks (Coastal Mapping, Urban Sprawl, Forest Monitoring, etc.) branch off from Module 4 onward β see the course catalog above for details.
| Module | Topics Covered | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| 1. GIS Fundamentals | Coordinate systems, projections, vector & raster data, QGIS/ArcGIS interface | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 2. Remote Sensing Basics | Electromagnetic spectrum, sensors, Landsat 8/9 & Sentinel-2 data download workflows | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 3. Image Processing | Band combinations, atmospheric correction, spectral indices (NDVI, NDWI, NDBI) | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 4. LULC Classification | Supervised & unsupervised classification of Kerala’s backwaterβurban interface | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 5. Natural Resource Mapping | Mangrove mapping, wetland delineation, shoreline change detection | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 6. Google Earth Engine | Cloud-based time-series analysis of Kerala’s coastal & forest zones | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 7. Python for GIS | Scripting raster/vector workflows with GeoPandas and Rasterio | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 8. Web GIS Development | Building interactive Leaflet.js maps to publish natural resource layers online | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 9. Field Verification Concepts | Ground-truthing methodology and accuracy assessment for classified maps | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
| 10. Capstone Project | End-to-end LULC & resource-mapping project on a Kerala study area of choice | Kochi: in-lab Β· Others: live online |
We won’t pretend the two modes are identical experiences β they aren’t. Here’s exactly what changes and what stays the same, so you can pick the right one.
| Aspect | Offline β Kochi | Online β Rest of Kerala |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum & syllabus | Identical | Identical |
| Instructor | Same lead instructors | Same lead instructors |
| Certificate | Space Borne certificate | Space Borne certificate |
| Datasets used | Same Kerala case studies | Same Kerala case studies |
| Hardware setup | Pre-configured lab PC provided | You use your own laptop |
| Doubt clearing | Face-to-face, instant | Live video + chat, same session |
| Session recordings | Not typically needed | Provided for revision |
| Travel required | Yes, to Kochi center | None β join from anywhere |
| Peer networking | In-person cohort | Online cohort & community group |
| Seat availability | Limited by lab capacity | Flexible, larger batch sizes |
A week-by-week view of how the Foundation course unfolds, whether you’re sitting in the Kochi lab or joining live from Kozhikode, Thrissur, or anywhere else.
Software installation (online learners) or lab login (Kochi), coordinate systems, and your first vector/raster layers in QGIS.
Downloading Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel-2 scenes covering your chosen Kerala study area; understanding sensor bands.
Band math, atmospheric correction, and computing NDVI/NDWI/NDBI on real Kerala imagery.
Supervised and unsupervised classification techniques applied to coastal-urban interface zones.
Mangrove and backwater delineation, shoreline change detection across multiple years.
Cloud-based time-series analysis and scripting your first automated geoprocessing workflow.
Publishing your classified layers as an interactive Leaflet.js map, just like the one on this page.
Present an end-to-end LULC and resource-mapping project on a Kerala study area of your choice; receive your certificate.
“Being able to walk into the Kochi lab and have someone look over my shoulder while I debugged a classification error saved me hours. The offline format is worth it if you’re local.”
“I’m based in Kozhikode and assumed online would feel like a watered-down version. It wasn’t β same instructor, same Kerala datasets, same capstone project as the Kochi batch.”
“The Google Earth Engine module alone changed how I approach my forestry fieldwork. I joined from Thrissur and never felt like I was missing out on anything offline learners got.”
It’s fully offline. You attend in person at our Kochi training center on your own laptop, and get face-to-face instructor time for every session β there is no screen or livestream involved for the Kochi cohort.
You’re welcome to travel to Kochi for the offline batch, but for most learners outside the city we recommend the live online batch β it has the identical curriculum and is far more convenient day-to-day.
No β the certificate is identical regardless of delivery mode. It reflects course completion, not the format you attended in.
Switching is possible subject to Kochi lab seat availability β message us on WhatsApp and we’ll check the next available slot.
No. Every lab exercise is done live on your own machine during the session with screen-share guidance β you’re not just watching a recording.
Yes. Both the Kochi offline classroom and the online batches are bring-your-own-laptop (BYOL) β we don’t provide shared lab workstations. A Windows or macOS laptop with at least 8GB RAM is recommended; we’ll walk you through installing QGIS, ArcGIS and Python on your machine during the first session.
QGIS, ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine, Python for GIS, satellite image interpretation, and LULC classification β all taught using Kerala’s backwaters, mangroves, and coastal zones as live case studies.
No. The Foundation course assumes zero prior experience. The Python for GIS and Advanced Earth Engine tracks are best taken after Foundation or with basic scripting familiarity.
Primarily Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel-2, both freely available, supplemented with Google Earth Engine’s curated public data catalog for time-series work.
QGIS, Python and Google Earth Engine are entirely free. ArcGIS modules use either a student trial license or lab-provided access in Kochi β we’ll guide you through whichever applies to you.
Foundation covers the core toolkit end-to-end. Specialization tracks (Coastal Mapping, Urban Sprawl, Forest Monitoring, etc.) go deeper into one domain and assume Foundation-level familiarity with QGIS and spectral indices.
Students, researchers, and professionals in environmental science, civil engineering, urban planning, forestry, or geography β no prior GIS experience required.
GIS and remote sensing skills are increasingly required in forestry, urban planning, disaster management and agriculture departments; our certificate is recognized for academic and professional use, though specific eligibility depends on the hiring body.
Yes β many learners use the capstone project requirement to directly support an ongoing academic thesis on a Kerala study area.
Satellites cover thousands of square kilometers per pass, revisit the same area every few days, and have imaged some locations consistently since the 1970s β giving you scale and historical depth that ground surveys alone can’t provide at a comparable cost.
Yes, when paired with proper classification technique and accuracy assessment β both of which are taught explicitly in this course, including how and when to supplement satellite analysis with field verification.
No. Landsat and Sentinel-2 β the two main datasets used throughout this course β are freely available to the public, which is part of why space-borne data is so cost-effective to learn and work with.
Batches typically run on weekday evenings or weekend full-day formats β exact timings are confirmed when you enroll, based on current cohort scheduling.
You’ll receive a video-call link before each live session; no special software is needed beyond what’s used for the GIS coursework itself.
Recordings are made available so you can catch up before the next class β this safety net isn’t offered for the Kochi offline batch since sessions are in-person only.
Reach out via WhatsApp or email using the contact details below, mention whether you want the Kochi offline batch or live online, and we’ll confirm the next available start date.