June 25, 2015: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Smart Cities Mission in India. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for urban residents and stimulate economic growth. According to the 2011 Census data, about 31% of India's population lives in cities, contributing 63% of the country's GDP. By 2030, it is projected that 40% of India's population will reside in urban areas, contributing 75% to the GDP. The mission promises to improve the living standards in 100 cities and towns across the country. Let's delve into the details of the Smart Cities Mission, its vision, challenges, the list of cities, and more.
Smart Cities Mission Highlights
The following table indicates the key highlights of the smart cities mission.
| Items | Cost / Number |
| Cities | 100 |
| Total Projects | 7,750 |
| Total Cost of Projects | Rs. 1,80,965 Cr. |
| Completed Projects to Date | 5,001 |
| Cost Involved in Completed Projects | Rs. 92, 654 Cr. |
| Ongoing Projects | 2,741 |
| Cost Involved in Ongoing Projects | Rs. 89,000 Cr. |
What is the Smart Cities Mission?
The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative by the Indian Government to enhance the quality of life in cities and towns through best practices, information and digital technology, and increased public-private partnerships. Launched on June 25, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mission is overseen by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. Each state has established a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), headed by a CEO, to manage the mission's implementation. To ensure the mission's success, funding of Rs 7,20,000 crore has been allocated.
In five rounds, 100 cities across the country have been selected for upgrades based on the area development plan. All Indian states are participating in the program except West Bengal, which opted out due to political differences between the central and state governments. Additionally, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra have withdrawn their participation.
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Features of Smart City Mission in India
We have discussed the primary objective of the Smart Cities Mission: driving economic growth and improving the quality of life. Let's delve into how this will be achieved in detail.
Promoting Mixed Land Use: The mission allows states to use land for various purposes with greater flexibility, adapting bye-laws as needed while ensuring environmental safeguards are met.
Expanding Housing Opportunities: Addressing the housing needs is crucial for the mission’s success. It aims to provide more housing projects to cater to diverse income groups, especially the lower-income demographics.
Reducing Congestion and Pollution: The mission envisions reducing congestion, enhancing security, minimizing air pollution, and promoting local interactions and the economy. New pathways for pedestrians and cyclists are being developed to reduce accidents.
Creating Recreational Spaces: Another key objective is to develop playgrounds, parks, open gyms, and other recreational spaces to improve the quality of life for residents.
Enhancing Transport Options: The mission promotes various transport options, such as transit-oriented development (TOD) and public transportation, to improve mobility.
Ensuring Transparency and Accountability: To bring more transparency and accountability to governance, more online services are being launched, enabling citizens to access municipal services through websites instead of visiting offices.
Establishing City Identity: The mission aims to provide a unique identity to each city based on sectors such as education, health, local cuisine, sports, culture, art, and furniture.
Implementing Smart Solutions: Smart solutions are applied to infrastructure and services for area development, enhancing overall efficiency and quality of life.
These comprehensive strategies aim to transform cities into more livable, sustainable, and economically vibrant urban centers.
Smart Solution of Smart Cities Mission
Under the mission smart solutions are being used for the basic infrastructure like:-
- Public information and grievance redressal
- Electronic service delivery
- Citizens-city’s eye and ear
- Video crime monitoring
- Citizen engagement
- Waste to compost
- Waste to energy and fuel
- Every drop to be treated
- Treatment of C&D waste
- Smart meters and management for water and electricity
- Leakage identification
- Water quality monitoring
- Renewable source of energy
- Energy efficiency and green buildings
- Smart parking
- Intelligent Traffic management system
- Integrated multi-modal transport
- Tele-medicine
- Trade facilitation center
- Skill Development Centers
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Fundamentals of Smart City Mission
There is no one-size-fits-all template for a city to become a smart city, as different cities have varying development needs. However, certain core principles form the foundation of the Smart City concept. Here are the key fundamentals:
Community-Centric Approach: Community is the essence of a smart city. It is the most basic and crucial element on which several other factors depend.
Competitive Selection: Cities chosen for improvement under the Smart City Mission must be selected through a competitive process. These cities must also have the flexibility to undertake and implement various projects.
Efficient Resource Utilization: Another essential principle is generating better or greater output using limited resources. This emphasizes the need for efficient and prudent use of available resources.
Innovation and Sustainability: Cities must seek innovative methods and sustainable solutions when implementing projects under the Smart City Mission. This ensures long-term viability and adaptability.
Context-Relevant Technology: The technology used must be carefully selected and relevant to the specific context of the city. This ensures that technological solutions are practical and effective.
Sector and Financial Convergence: The final fundamental is the convergence of sectors that require development and the financial means to support these developments. This holistic approach ensures comprehensive growth and sustainability.
These fundamentals guide the transformation of cities into smarter, more sustainable, and community-focused urban centers.
Financing of Smart City Mission in India
The government has allocated a total of Rs 7,20,000 crore for the Smart Cities Mission, averaging Rs 100 crore per city over five years. The scheme operates as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on a 50:50 model, with Rs 50 crore contributed by the central government and Rs 50 crore by the state governments or Union Territories.
However, this funding model presents challenges. By November 2021, the central government had released Rs 27,282 crore, while the states had only contributed Rs 20,124 crore. This discrepancy highlights the financial hurdles in achieving the mission's goals.
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List of Cities for Smart City Mission in India
A total of 100 cities have been selected for the Smart Cities Mission. Initially, West Bengal, Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai submitted proposals, but they later withdrew their applications. Most of the selected cities are from Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Following are the cities which being developed as a smart city:-
- Port Blair
- Visakhapatnam
- Tirupati
- Kakinada
- Amaravati
- Pasighat
- Guwahati
- Muzaffarpur
- Bhagalpur
- Biharsharif
- Patna
- Chandigarh
- Raipur
- Bilaspur
- Naya Raipur
- Diu Dadra & Nagar Haveli
- Silvassa
- New Delhi Municipal Council
- Panaji
- Gandhinagar
- Ahmedabad
- Surat
- Vadodara
- Rajkot
- Dahod
- Karnal
- Faridabad
- Dharamshala
- Shimla
- Srinagar
- Jammu
- Ranchi
- Mangaluru
- Belagavi
- Shivamogga
- Hubballi Dharwad
- Tumakuru
- Davangere
- Bengaluru
- Kochi
- Trivandrum
- Kavaratti
- Bhopal
- Indore
- Jabalpur
- Gwalior
- Sagar
- Satna Ujjain
- Nashik
- Thane
- Greater Mumbai
- Amravati
- Solapur
- Nagpur
- Kalyan-Dombivali
- Aurangabad
- Pune
- Pimpri chinchwad
- Imphal
- Shillong
- Aizawl
- Kohima
- Bhubaneshwar
- Raurkela
- Oulgaret
- Ludhiana
- Jalandhar
- Amritsar
- Jaipur
- Udaipur
- Kota
- Ajmer
- Namchi
- Gangtok
- Tiruchirapalli
- Tirunelveli
- Dindigul
- Thanjavur
- Tiruppur
- Salem
- Vellore
- Coimbatore
- Madurai
- Erode
- Thoothukudi
- Chennai
- Greater Hyderabad
- Greater Warangal
- Karimnagar
- Agartala
- Moradabad
- Aligarh
- Saharanpur
- Bareilly
- Jhansi
- Kanpur
- Prayagraj
- Lucknow
- Varanasi
- Ghaziabad
- Agra
- Rampur
- Dehradun
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Smart City Mission India Challenge
The Ministry of Urban Development used a competition-based approach, focusing on area-based development, to select cities for the Smart Cities Mission. Initially, cities competed at the state level. The winners then advanced to the national Smart City Challenge. Cities with the highest scores were chosen as Smart Cities. The state governments nominated the participating cities.
CITIIS 2.0 Programme, a Sub-Component of Smart Cities Mission
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the CITIIS (City Investments to Innovate, Integrate, and Sustain) program, a sub-component of the Smart Cities Mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. This extension will run for four years, from 2023 to 2027. While CITIIS 1.0 focused on developing and implementing sustainable and innovation-driven infrastructure projects, CITIIS 2.0 aims to support competitively selected projects that promote a circular economy. The program will emphasize integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reforms at the state level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the national level. The goal is to build on the successes and lessons learned from CITIIS 1.0.
Earlier this week, the Union Urban Affairs Minister informed the Parliamentary committee that over 90% of the funds allocated under the Smart Cities Mission have been utilized, and nearly 73% of the projects have been completed.
Other Missions Related to Smart Cities Mission
To ensure the success of the mission, other government-initiated projects are interlinked. Integrating social, economic, physical, and institutional infrastructure can drive overall development. Significant benefits can be achieved through the convergence of the following sectoral schemes:
- AMRUT- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
- HRIDAY- Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
- Make in India
- Digital India
- Swach Bharat Abhiyan
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
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Current Status of Smart City Mission in India
As of February 16, 2022, the status of Smart City Mission is as follows:-
|
Particulars |
Numbers |
|
Cities |
100 |
|
Projects |
5152 |
|
Amount |
Rs 2,06,017 crore |
|
Tendered |
6808 Projects / Rs189,747 crore |
|
Work orders issued |
6223 Projects / Rs 164,869 crore |
|
Work completed |
3481 Projects / Rs 59,066 crore |
Recommendations for Smart Cities Mission
Here are some recommendations to enhance the benefits from the mission:
- It should be structured as a long-term program rather than limited to five years, as many cities require more time to achieve optimal results.
- Identify additional projects to address the diverse needs of smart cities, particularly those still grappling with issues like drainage.
- Conduct studies to understand the challenges hindering project completion in cities such as Amaravati, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Shillong.
- Increase revenue through taxation to bolster fund mobilization, ensuring a streamlined fund transfer process.
- Enhance cyber security measures to safeguard cities, focusing on data security and encryption.
Data Smart City Mission under SCM
The Smart Cities Mission aims to enhance economic growth and elevate residents' quality of life through localized development and innovative technology solutions, particularly those that lead to smart outcomes.
Under this initiative, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is launching the "DataSmart Cities" strategy to harness the potential of data in addressing complex urban challenges. Central to this strategy is fostering a culture of data-driven governance across smart cities.
The DataSmart Cities program will encourage cities to establish foundational elements of a data culture at the local level, including forming alliances and networks among smart cities, developing city-specific data strategies, and promoting reusable use cases across various sectors. It also aims to facilitate knowledge sharing among cities to advance data-driven governance practices.
With the proliferation of IoT devices, sensors, and other technologies, cities are generating vast amounts of data daily, enhancing their ability to understand and respond to urban dynamics. Cities embracing a DataSmart approach are expected to improve governance efficiency, accountability, and transparency, while promoting citizen engagement, collaborative problem-solving, and innovation.
National Urban Digital Mission
The National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM) aims to establish a unified digital infrastructure to enhance efficiency in addressing urban infrastructure and civic issues. It is being designed as a public infrastructure initiative.
The development of this digital mission will provide foundational digital components and ready-to-deploy platforms aimed at enhancing city operations. It will include frameworks that enable the delivery of services to elevate urban governance standards.
Key benefits of the NUDM include:
- Improved accessibility to information, enabling urban departments to better serve citizens.
- Enhanced ease of living for citizens through seamless access to government services.
- The establishment of shared digital infrastructure to drive targeted reforms across public departments.
- Enhanced financial management through effective fund utilization, budgeting, and expenditure analysis.
- Strengthened data collection at the grassroots level, facilitating the development of solutions to enhance city livability.
Conclusion on Smart Cities Mission
In essence, the primary goal of the Smart Cities Mission is to stimulate economic growth and elevate living standards across India. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is dedicated to achieving this objective by leveraging technology, enhancing local area development, and upgrading infrastructure and services in 100 designated cities. Since its inception over six years ago, noticeable transformations have begun in certain cities. Completed projects have delivered significant social and economic advantages. However, challenges such as financial constraints, administrative hurdles, and the impact of Covid-19 have slowed the program's progress.
Ans 1. The main goal of a smart city is to optimise city functions and promote economic growth while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis.
Ans 2. The Government of India has launched the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June 2015. The objective is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of 'Smart' Solutions.
Ans 3. Which are the first smart cities in India? Indore, Pune, Agra, Varanasi, and Chennai are a few of the first smart cities in India.
Ans 4. What are smart cities? A smart city is a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business. A smart city goes beyond the use of digital technologies for better resource use and less emissions.
Ans 5. The “Digital City” constitutes the communication and information infrastructure in the smart city model, and incorporates several key guiding principles: Assimilation of advanced technologies to improve the city. For example – technologies for regulating traffic, garbage removal, infrastructure repair, vegetation care.
Ans 6. Singapore. This smart city is a global reference. Singapore has improved security, reinvigorated public spaces, and decreased waiting times for essential public services. In this city, everything is designed to improve quality of life.
Ans 7. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) for development of 100 Smart Cities with the purpose of driving economic growth and improving the quality of lives of people, through local area development and harnessing of technology.
Ans 8. Description. The vision of ''Smart Cities'' is the urban center of the future, made safe, secure environmentally green, and efficient because all structures--whether for power, water, transportation, etc.
Ans 9. It includes the participatory systems of governance, e- governance, inclusive governance, the sense of safety and security and the opportunities for creativity.
Ans 10. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is a business district currently under construction on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Gujarat state, India. GIFT City aims to be a 'smart city' for India's growing finance and technology sectors.