Next 13 Smart Cities announced

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and with £2.2 Trillion allocated in the budget FY16, infrastructure development is clearly a crucial enabler to growth. Recently, the Indian cabinet green-lit a £10 billion scheme that will be divided equally between building 100 cities, and rejuvenating another 500 cities and towns over the next five years. These cities in this scheme have been termed as the ‘Smart Cities’.

Under the Smart Cities mission the Government had shortlisted 98 cities, and earlier this year they announced the names of the first 20 urban areas chosen for the first phase of development. The selected cities will be equipped with basic infrastructure, efficient urban mobility and public transport, IT connectivity and e-governance mechanisms.

Urban development minister, Venkaiah Naidu, at an event in New Delhi revealed that the 20 cities that had already been announced may require an investment of $8 billion, while once all 100 cities selected are estimated to $40 billion.

The Government has now announced the next 13 cities to be included in the first set of cities to receive funds under the smart cities mission, taking the total number to 33. These cities have been chosen out of the 23 cities who did not make the first round and were asked to focus on their deficiencies and prepare for a fast-track screening for round 2 of announcements. Lucknow and Warangal top the list of 13 winners announced by Urban Development Minister, Venkaiah Naidu. The others are- Dharamshala, Chandigarh, Raipur, New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Panaji, Port Blair, Imphal, Ranchi, Agartala and Faridabad. The contest for the remaining cities will begin in September this year.

The Smart Cities initiative also have far reaching effects. During the recent visit of Prime Minister Modi, UK Government agreed to a new 5‑year partnership to develop 3 chosen smart cities in 3 states (Pune – Maharashtra, Amravati – Andhra Pradesh and Indore – Madhya Pradesh).

How UK companies can get involved

There are various areas and stages where the UK companies get involved in this project. This involves physical (infrastructure including mass transport, water, waste management, built environment), digital (ICT, data, software, analytics and smart metering), commercial (professional services, regulatory standards, financing and legal), and social (municipal services, community-led designs and services, e-governance, healthcare).

Integrated planning, a strong vision and creative thinking twined with engineering skills and expertise UK companies can help link the social, economic and cultural behaviours to create a city for innovation and growth.

By working together with our colleagues in India on this exciting Smart Cities initiative, we have a great opportunity to link the UK’s global experience with India’s local expertise to create a winning combination for the future. Cities and government have traditionally considered resources – energy, water, waste, transport and health – by verticals to be managed separately. But our consortium of companies work together and can focus on each one of the interconnected parameters.