“Smart city development” and progress Indian scenario

Initiatives to set up 100 smart cities in the country by 2022 are underway and being implemented at a very faster pace. With the aim to strengthen and revitalize the urban local bodies the government has introduces a city challenge system for selecting smart cities on the basis of urban amenities, demographic profile and financial situation. India is the third largest Economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) with a 6.4% share of worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) on a PPP basis. The country also ranks second in terms of population, with more than 1.2 billion people, out of which, nearly one-third are urban dwellers. The urban population in the country has increased from 17.3 % in 1951 to 31.2% in 2011.Over the last decade Indian cities have witnessed a high rate of Urbanization with Delhi leading the race, registering a growth rate of 4.1%, followed by Mumbai and Kolkata with growth rates of 3.1 % and 2.1 % respectively. The new Indian government has taken cognizance of this accelerating expansion. Investments required to stabilize, augment as well as build a robust infrastructure are at the forefront of the governments agenda. The objective of this Knowledge paper is to provide an overview of the opportunity landscape for smart cities in India as well as facilitate Global solution providers to take stock of the current situation and support the Indian government’s Smart city initiative. A strong and stable democratic government coupled with the relatively free play of market forces today makes India the most Attractive Investment destination. It would also be imperative to have smart leadership not only at the national level but also at the local municipal level who can take bold decisions in every urban area and more importantly, smart people who are willing to support smart leaders for bringing the necessary change and to implement the plans.