Top 20 India Smart Cities includes Ahmedabad and Surat from Gujarat
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have finally announced the initial 20 cities nominated to be urbanised under the Smart Cities project. These cities will offer a better quality of life through the implementation of smart solutions to infrastructure and services.
The original goal was to have a 100 smart cities in India, this may still be the plan but at the moment these are the first 20 cities to get smart city status and funds to begin development. The Indian government is planning to invest Rs 50,802 crore (approximately 5.1 billion GBP or 7.3 billion USD) in the 20 cities and towns over the next five years.
Further information relating to the top 20 smart cities list in India can be found here.
The inclusion of Ahmedabad and Surat highlights the potential these two major Gujarat cities offer. Both are in geographically advantageous locations, being in such close proximity to a large coastal region and primary shipping port.
The publication of the top 20 list provides business opportunities not only for the local Indian economy, but also for international companies who will want to get in on the action. The Smart Cities initiative will offer companies from other nations the opportunity to do business in industries such as infrastructure, water management, IT solutions, smart building solutions and certifications. Ancillary services will also be on the rise with the injection of capital from the government and private sector.
