NASSCOM makes a strong case for ICT in Smart City initiative

 The Dollar Business Bureau In view of the rapid industrialization and urbanization in India, there is a need to embrace innovative approaches to new city development and city management, said the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), in its recent release on Wednesday. A Smart City will effectively deliver public services to citizens and businesses with a balanced focus in terms of modernizing city infrastructure and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and capacity of city services, the IT industry body added. Sharing its vision on the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in the Government of India’s 100 Smart Cities Mission, the NASSCOM informed that it has built an innovative framework, in partnership with various industry members, to highlight the role of ICT in government’s Smart City initiative. And, a detailed report, in this regard, titled-‘Integrated ICT and Geospatial Technologies Framework for 100 Smart Cities Mission’, will be launched at the upcoming Smart City Expo in Delhi on May 21, 2015, informed the NASSCOM’s announced. Highlighting that India is expected to witness a three-fold rise in its urban population by 2031, the industry body stated that this rapid urbanization is putting an additional pressure on Indian cities in terms of delivering basic city services and infrastructure to citizens and businesses. Therefore, it is important for all the stakeholders to think upon an integrated innovative framework and come together to build a smart and sustainable future for India, it added. Speaking at the event, R Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, said, “The report aims to expose the role of the ICT and enable the State Governments and the Urban Local bodies to integrate the ICT in their future City Master Plans.” This also provides the industry an opportunity to partner with the government, as the total ICT spending for smart cities can account for 10-15% of the overall budget, he added. Further stating that this would create a US $30-40 business over the coming ten years period, the NASSCOM President thanked the Central government for reaching out to it seeking planned strategies to leverage the capabilities of ICT in the overall development of the country. The NASSCOM’s program towards Smart City initiative has synergies with the key government schemes for urban development like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Heritage City Development & Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), he added. The report was an outcome of the NASSCOM’s combined efforts with various industry partners to build a creative framework highlighting the role of ICT in the smart city initiative and was made in response to the suggestion by the Ministry of Urban Development.    

May 14, 2015 | 5:28 pm IST.