We’re excited to continue our Road Mapping Champion series with Local Guide @SarathUpendran from India!
Sarath added his first road on Google Maps this January and hasn’t stopped since. He’s now mapped over 37,000 roads, more than 20,000 of which during the 2025 TRAC campaign! Sarath stood out as the most active contributor on his team, Seekers, and the second most active among all participants.
Here’s what inspired Sarath to take the first step on this journey of mapping roads and what motivates him to keep going. Read on to also find out what his tips are for anyone who wants to start contributing roads on Google Maps.
Tell us a bit about your road mapping journey. What inspired you to start adding roads on Google Maps? Why are you passionate about adding roads on Google Maps?
My journey started with attending an offline meet-up hosted by @Rahul001 in December 2024, where I learned about contributing by adding roads. It got me curious, which led me to read previous years’ TRAC campaign posts and other topics on Connect on adding and correcting roads.
On January 21, my first road got approved, and that was the beginning of a new chapter and an interesting hobby. It soon turned into a passion as I realized that every road added could help someone reach their destination more safely and efficiently. Adding roads is now part of my daily routine.
Is there a personal milestone you’re particularly proud of?
One of my biggest achievements is completing the 2025 TRAC campaign in second position with over 20,000 roads and earning more than 300,000 points on Maps during those three months. It was my first time being part of TRAC, and it showed me why being a Local Guide mattered to me.
How did you manage to map over 20,000 roads during TRAC?
I want to extend a huge thanks to @PrasadVR for guiding me and hosting meet-ups that taught me what mistakes to avoid and what the actual goal of the campaign was. The entire team was very helpful when there were doubts, and we supported each other the whole time. Being on bed rest due to medical treatment unexpectedly gave me the uninterrupted time needed to add more roads every day. The approval time for road edits had also decreased, which really helped, too.
Do you have a favorite road contribution on Google Maps? What’s the story behind it?
My favorite contribution is the very first road I got approved. It was one of five forest roads I had added. The area has poor signal coverage, and without proper mapping, anyone could easily get lost in the maze of paths there. Since it’s a forested region with fewer than 50 families living nearby, having accurate roads on the map is especially important.
That first approval was a turning point for me as it motivated me to keep going, and within days, I started receiving hundreds of approval emails, which only increased my passion for adding roads.
What’s your best tip for adding roads on Google Maps for someone who might be just starting to make such contributions?
For anyone just starting out, begin with smaller contributions and be accurate. Always zoom in, make sure there are no obstacles on the road, double check that there isn’t an existing road. If you’re not sure about something, like if the road is unclear, incomplete, or trees are covering it, it would be better to skip it than make a mistake. Accuracy and quality are more important than quantity. Every road added should help someone, not mislead them.
Anything else you want to share about yourself or your Local Guides journey?
Being part of the Local Guides program has given me a sense of community. Everyone is willing to help others and improve Google Maps. Having mentors like @Rahul001 and @TravellerG has helped me learn about Maps features and improve my contributions. Being a Local Guide has made me more observant of my surroundings. Before, I could walk past an interesting shop or unique street art, but now I try to find such hidden gems to share with others. It’s amazing to know that my small actions help businesses and others in many ways.
Thank you for your contribution to making navigation on Google Maps better for everyone, Sarath!
Local Guides, do you like adding and editing roads on Google Maps? Let us know below.
Want to see who else is a Road Mapping Champion? Read our previous topic here.
