Smart Cities Council, an industry coalition to advance smart city development and innovation, in partnership with Centre for Sustainable Development has opened a new regional chapter in India.
The collaboration will focus on addressing the growing urban challenges especially in areas of energy, water and transportation in the country.
India is the first regional chapter of the Global Smart Cities Council. The launch was announced at a forum held in Bangalore.
With a population expected to reach 590 million by 2030, Indian cities are poised to experience tremendous pressure on urban infrastructure and key public services. Additionally, its rapidly growing economy makes it an obvious location to leverage information and communications technology to help cities on a global scale.
“The Smart Cities Council provides cities with the resources to assess their ability to innovate. Our Partners and Advisors across the globe will help set priorities and begin implementation for city development,” said Jim Whittaker, Smart Cities Council executive director.
The Centre for Sustainable Development is a non-profit organization located in the City of Bangalore, which promotes sustainable development through programs that engage diverse stakeholders and build capacity to achieve sustainability across sectors.
“The aligning goals of the Centre for Sustainable Development and the Smart Cities Council made it an obvious partnership for us,” said A. Ravindra, chairman of the Centre for Sustainable Development. “Our missions, skills, activities and expertise mutually reinforce each other. Together, we can clearly envision a collaboration that will shape the agenda of smart cities in India.”
Smart Smart Cities Council was formed in 2012. The council has nearly 20 leading global companies as members including IBM, Bechtel,
Brigade Group has already consented to be a partner in Smart City Council India.
One of the main activities of the council is to respond to the lack of coordination in cities to build or expand urban infrastructure that utilizes technology to work efficiently across an entire city. The council recently released version 1.0 of the Smart Cities Council Readiness Guide, the first comprehensive, vendor-neutral smart city handbook for city leaders and planners.