35 conferences spearheaded by industry leaders and stellar exhibition provided meaningful insights and approach to the way forward on the ambitious project
The expo was organized supporting the view of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to make Indian cities world class with a sustainable ecosystem. The three-day expo received considerable support from ministries, public and private companies in India and across the globe. The speakers from all major countries participated and shared their expertise on the colossal goal. The conferences held in the expo, discussed varied topics including usage of green architectures, smart power distribution, the inevitable role of ICT, and successful case studies from across the globe.
Session on Smart & Green Solution by Poland Delegation.
The inaugural ceremony witnessed key note speakers sharing their vision on Smart Cities. The welcome address included industry leaders such as Mr. Dinesh Malkani, President, CISCO, India; Mr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, NASSCOM and Executive Chairman, Cyient, India; along with Mr. Rakesh Kaul, Partner-Government and Public services, PwC, India.
Guest of Honor for the event H.E. Mr. Harald Sandberg, Ambassador of Sweden said, “It is commendable that India is committed to develop in a smarter and a sustainable way. Public-private partnership is the way forward for this initiative. Sweden has gained relevant experience through over-coming water and pollution related challenges and thereby transforming Sweden to an eco-friendly country. The ambitious smart cities project in India demands small steps to be taken by every citizen to make it a sprawling success.”
Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Babul Supriyo had visited during the 2nd day of the Smart Cities India 2015 expo. He had addressed the audience present during the conference and interacted with exhibitors.
Other ministers who graced the occasion included Smt. Yashodhara Raje Scindia the current Minister for Commerce, and Chairman Industries and Employment, Madhya Pradesh; Shri Chandrakant Khaire, Member of Parliament, Aurangabad, National Executive Member Bharatiya Janata Party and Shri Udit Raj, Member of Parliament, North-west Delhi constituency and National Chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations; and Mr Amitabh Kant, Secretary Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India.
Lead speaker for the session on “Smart grids in India - stability, security and network reliability” Mr. Sujay K. Saha, The head of group -smart grid, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Co. Ltd, India shared, “The power requirement in India today stands at 2,60,000 megawatts and the demand is expected to double in the coming decade. To curb this energy crisis, Smart cities will have to adopt a smart distribution network to avoid power thefts and increase efficiency for the end consumer.”
207 domestic and international participants showcased their products and services to buyers, industry representatives, center, state and local body officials with industry representatives, town and city planners, architects, realtors, academia, students and media.
Exhibiting companies included Hewlett-Packard, Wipro, CISCO, Schneider Electric, Lavasa, Barco, Berger Paints India, Basildon Borough Council, L&T Construction, Zippr Pvt Ltd, Volvo, Skipper Ltd, Neo Zeo, Royal Appliances, Newgen Group etc.
Smart Cities India 2015 expo hosted country pavilions from Poland, Sweden and European Business &Technology Center (EBTC).
The European delegation shared candidly how India needs to first identity what initiatives are feasible and commercially viable under Smart Cities project and then draw inferences from many European cities example. Public Private Partnerships (PPP) will form the basis of sharing knowledge, goods, machinery, etc. for building sustainable cities in India.
During a session on “International Case Presentation on Smart Cities”, Ms. Olga Chepelianskaia, Senior Expert, ERG Terra/EBTC France had shared, “Resilience infrastructure is indispensable to withstand any natural calamity. Currently; about 80% of houses in Delhi are not resilient to earthquakes. This is a matter of serious concern. Smart Cities should have houses that are not only resilient against disasters but also smart in efficiently using and saving energy.”
The last day of the exhibition witnessed sessions on smart cities focusing on urban planning; smart grids discussing stability, security and network reliability along with smart and green solutions from Poland.
On the successful completion of the expo, Mr. Prem Behl, Chairman Exhibition India Group said “Smart Cities India 2015 expo is an attempt to provide a platform where business relationships can be fostered and knowledge transfer undertakes with a single vision of creating smart and better cities in India. I thank the ministries, delegates, speakers, exhibitors and visitors for making the very first expo a sprawling success.”
Overall the expo rendered a prolific experience for all participating delegates, exhibitors and visitors. Smart Cities India will return with a succeeding chapter in May 2016.
For detailed info, please visit: www.smartcitiesindia.com