Story Behind The Swachh Bharat Toilet Locator App
A few years ago, while India was transforming under the Swachh Bharat Mission, there was one challenge that quietly affected millions...
Story Behind The Swachh Bharat Toilet Locator App
A few years ago, while India was transforming under the Swachh Bharat Mission, there was one challenge that quietly affected millions—the simple need to find a clean, nearby public toilet.
Whether you were traveling to a new city for work, attending an event, or just exploring a public space, the question remained the same — “Where can I find a toilet nearby?”
Surprisingly, no department or private entity had a definitive dataset of public toilets across India. The information gap was real and deeply felt — especially by women, who often had to rely on others for directions, only to find there were none around.
That’s when our team at Neologicx decided to take a small but impactful step.
We developed the “Swachh Bharat Toilet Locator” mobile app, which later became popularly known as the “Google Toilet Locator.”
🗺️ On a simple, intuitive interface, users could:
- Select their gender
- Instantly view nearby toilets
- Get navigation directions to reach them
- View facilities available at each location
- Rate and upload photos of the toilet to help others
What started as a pilot under the Swachh Bharat initiative soon turned into a nationwide movement, improving accessibility and hygiene awareness across cities.
And the proudest moment?
When this very concept was later integrated as a feature in Google Maps, making it available to millions — not just as an app, but as a public convenience infrastructure milestone.
This project remains one of our most meaningful contributions — not just in terms of technology, but in how a simple digital solution can directly impact health, dignity, and everyday life for people across India.
🎥 Watch the Story
▶️ Short explainer video: https://youtu.be/pBX7qICbKtY?si=mXCK1xrUw1MMbhoO
📌 Full LinkedIn post from the initiative
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7392472293391728642
Main stakeholders: Vipul Ujwal, Manish Bhatt, August Communications Neeraj Sharma, Neologicx Resources India Pvt. Ltd.