The Pragati Maidan events venue in New Delhi will be the stage for the most extraordinary event that India will hold next year, and quite possibly one of the most relevant in the entire region. SC Actual Smart City will cover the event as a media partner -but in the meantime, allow us to introduce you to this summit
It is estimated that, in 5 years from now, cities from Asia will have taken the lead in terms of Smart City development, surpassing Europe and North America. The economic progress that has been made in such a short time in the Asian continent is impressive, but it is also the reason why, perhaps, these countries need Smart planning more than the European ones. As the population grows, so does the consumption of goods and energy, along with pollution and the requirement of livable surfaces for old cities to expand, and for new ones to be established.
Luckily, the governments of most of these cities are just as aware of that forecast as we are, and they are already making stoic efforts to implement Smart City solutions, teaming up with national and multinational companies to set partial or integral projects in motion. There´s already examples of this large-scale partnerships such as the town of Fujisawa, currently under construction in Japan with the aid of Accenture and Panasonic among others; the city of Masdar in Abu Dhabi, one of the most sustainable enclaves in the entire planet which was featured in our very first issue; or the “dream city” project of Palava, under development in the state of Maharashtra in India with financial & technical support from the Lodha group.
In this specific last case, and as impressive as the Palava project may be, it is but one of the many efforts that India is making to fully establish itself as a modern, cutting-edge leading country, not only in Asia (where it is already securing a place of influence in the region) but in the whole world. As proof for this statement, the Indian government has allocated a 1.2 million dollar budget to Smart City initiatives and business ventures over the next year. Smart City projects, technologies and solutions will play a key role in this progression and the Indian government wants to raise awareness of the potential of this particular sector. To that end, and on the 22nd of May of 2015, the Pragati Maidan events venue will set off of the most interesting, potent and diverse Smart events for the next year: the Smart Cities India 2015, which will summon dozens of institutions, companies and speakers to the city of New Delhi.
All for one: wide national & international support
The national government of India will send delegations from three of its ministries to support this event: the Ministry of Urban Development, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology. This presence will reinforce the conferences and debates regarding urbanization, environmental awareness or the fields of IoT and ICT, themes that must be present in any Smart City event and that will surely have a remarkable presence at the summit.
There are many other entities that have strong collaborative ties with the Indian government and that will be present at Smart Cities India, sharing their expertise and knowledge. Some of these entities are the Naya Raipur Development Authority, the agency that surveys and manages one of the most sustainable cities in India, the National Institute or Urban Affairs or the National Institute of Smart Governance.
While the Indian government shows a lot of commitment to this initiative, dozens of other public & private entities from India and abroad have also partnered with Smart Cities India to try and create the most solid, impressive event possible. The Indian Energy Sector, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Global Smart Grid Federation or the Cellular Operators Association of India are some of the many examples of industrial & technological support from the many economic sectors. Of course, the event will also receive a wide coverage from several news & media agencies, websites, blogs and magazines- including SC Actual Smart City, attending the event as media partner.
Themes and solutions: the entire Smart sector, represented
India has progressed quickly as a country. Whereas five to ten years ago India would still be mentioned as a “developing” country, it is now considered one of the main economic powers in the Asian continent. Because of this fast growth, India must take all of the possibilities of the Smart Cities into account, if this philosophy of urban development is to succeed. Fortunately, the array of themes and presentations listed covers most of the key Smart areas. Whether the visitors are interested in a specific market or technology, or wanting to know more about the Indian applications of the whole Smart sector, the Smart Cities India 2015 summit will offer something for everyone.
The main Smart themes at the summit are: Governance, Energy, Environment, Transportation, IT & Communications, and Building. On a personal note, we find these choices to be very thorough and extremely well adapted to the Indian case, since a quick growth in the population of cities usually comes with an increment in energy consumption, waste generation and an increasing need for livable spaces & safe routes between districts and towns (India expects to reach a population of 843 million people in its cities alone). These choices in themes also reflect the Smart areas where India is making most of its urban investment. Just to list some examples, India aims to have all of its households connected to a reliable Smart electric grid by 2017, to make a total investment of 50 billion dollars to reform its water supply infrastructure and make it safer and more efficient, and to have charging stations for hybrid & electric vehicles in all of its rural areas by 2027
Among the many subthemes and specific areas of discussion, we can highlight the following:
- Smart Energy will cover Smart Grids, energy storage, batteries, thermostats, or power distribution & monitoring, among others
- Smart Transportation features electric & hybrid vehicles, charging stations, advanced safety control & driver assistance systems, biofuels, hydrogen fuel cells, metros & urban transport systems…
- Smart Environment will include debates on water & waste management, battery recycling, air pollution control, solar & wind applications, recycling or water heating systems.
- Smart IT & Communications covers IT technologies, security & surveillance, disaster management, biometrics, smart devices…
- Smart Buildings will display topics like Smart heating & cooling, water heating systems, Smart power, energy saving devices, Smart meters, security sistems or water harvesting.
The summit will also include additional presentations on themes like urban planning, landscaping, financial & healthcare institutions, education, battery manufacturing, machinery, etc. We feel compelled to point out that these are only the topics listed so far, and Smart Cities India 2015 will surely expand its offer with new and engaging areas as the date draws closer.
The future (of India) is coming on
As we´ve said before, few countries are making these kinds of efforts towards the implementation of Smart Cities, whereas it translates to bringing the industry closer, raising awareness or making considerable investments. Should all these efforts yield the expected rewards, India could become a key player in the international Smart sector, and one of the most resilient, versatile and powerful economic powers in the future. Therefore, many of the solutions and technologies with the potential to reshape the Indian urban & economic panorama could be presented in Smart Cities India 2015. The speakers have not yet been announced, but we are sure that the professionals and opinion leaders will be fittingly chosen, and that they will deliver groundbreaking presentations.
The event will take place on the 20th of May next year, so there is still a lot of time for new subjects, partners and topics to be featured, as well as for many companies to attend and display their solutions. SC Actual Smart City will continue to inform on the latest news & inclusions of Smart Cities India 2015, but we can already predict that it will be one of the most relevant Smart City events of the year, and certainly, one that the most active and daring players of the Smart sector should not miss.
