National Association
of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has shared its vision on the role
of ICT in the 100 Smart Cities Mission. It also announced that a detailed
report titled - “Integrated ICT and Geospatial Technologies Framework for 100 Smart
Cities Mission” will be launched at the upcoming Smart City Expo in Delhi on May
21, 2015.
Over a 24 week effort,
NASSCOM in partnership with several industry members and partners have built a
framework to highlight the role of ICT in developing Smart Cities, and
categorize ways and means to make relevant ICT interventions that will enable
management of future smart cities in a sustainable and transparent manner. This
effort was mounted by NASSCOM in response to the suggestion by the Ministry of
Urban Development.
India is expected to witness a 3X increase in its urban
population by 2031. This rapid urbanization is putting an additional pressure
on Indian cities in terms of delivering basic city services and infrastructure
to citizens and businesses. Therefore, there is a growing need to embrace innovative approaches to new city development and city
management. A Smart City will effectively deliver public services to citizens
and businesses with a balanced focus in terms of modernizing city
infrastructure and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and capacity of
city services. Therefore, it is important for all the stakeholders to think of
an integrated framework and come together to build a smart and sustainable
future for India.
The ICT Framework suggested
by NASSCOM will address the unique challenges faced by the Indian Cities and
provide an integrated perspective across the key pillars of physical
infrastructure, social infrastructure, environmental and institutional
(governance). The framework further defines and assesses the core of each sub
system of a potential smart city, identifies ICT governance interventions,
organizational requirements, and capability development needs at city levels.
Speaking on the
occasion R. Chandrashekhar,
President, NASSCOM, said, “The Smart Cities Initiative is a much
needed step as it aims to broad base urban infrastructure in the country. It is
imperative that the ICT application / framework is integrated across the key
infrastructure and environmental pillars, especially when procured as a
component of individual infrastructure pillars. The report aims to demystify
the role of ICT and enable State Governments and Urban Local Bodies to
integrate ICT into their future City Master Plans. This also represents an opportunity
for the industry to partner with the government, as the total ICT spending for
Smart Cities can account for 10-15% of the overall budget. This would translate
into as much as US$30-40 bn over the next 10 years. We also thank the
ministry of urban development for reaching out to NASSCOM to device appropriate
strategies to leverage the capabilities of ICT in the overall development of
India. ”
It is also very
important that this program has synergies with vital national plans for Urban
areas like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT),
Heritage City Development & Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), and Swachh Bharat
Mission (SBM). Accordingly, this report also showcases how these initiatives
are aligned with the Smart Cities planning and roll-out”.
Efficient usage of
technology can help in the improvement of city sub systems to improve quality
of life of citizens, and help improve urban management using mobile and
internet channels. Developing Smart cities requires investment and therefore
will need different financing institutions and models involving both public and
private stakeholders.
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