The recently launched Smart Cities Council India will recruit smart cities experts in the country to develop a unique Smart Cities Readiness Guide for India that will help understand how smart technologies can be used to accommodate large scale growth and economic development in cities.
SCC India was launched by US-based Smart Cities Council in collaboration with Pratap Padode, President of the Mumbai-based Foundation of Infrastructure Research Studies Training.
The Smart Cities Council is a coalition of the world's foremost smart city practitioners advised by independent experts including top universities, national laboratories, standards bodies, climate advocacy groups and development banks. It aims to accelerate growth of smart cities worldwide by providing city leaders with best practices and vendor-neutral guidance on technology, finance, policy, and citizen engagement.
Padode, founder of the Indian arm of Smart Cities Council, is architect of the report on India's top 20 promising cities that was released during the 2nd Smart Cities Summit in New Delhi in February this year. He had also organised two summits on smart cities in Mumbai and New Delhi.
"India is the ideal location for a Smart Cities Council. We are proud to partner with entrepreneurs such as Pratap Padode, along with Indian civil society, scientists and engineers, to develop smart cities solutions. With the world's largest urban democracy, we believe that India can show us unique, sustainable solutions that can be utilised throughout the world," said Philip Bane, Executive Director, Smart Cities Council.
SCC India hopes to catapult Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 100 smart cities project onto the international stage. With the backing of partners that include major global companies such as Alstom, Bechtel, Cisco, IBM and Microsoft, it will function as a single point of reference for gaining knowledge and resources within the Indian smart cities space.
"The first mission for Smart Cities Council India is to launch the Smart Cities Readiness Guide for India," said Padode.
"The guide, developed by Indian smart cities experts using local case studies, will enable city leaders and urban planners to understand the comprehensive framework of a smart city and take actionable steps toward major city infrastructure improvements," he added.
The Smart Cities Readiness Guide for India will be based on the globally acclaimed Smart Cities Readiness Guide that the Smart Cities Council first released in 2013 and updated in July 2014.