Decoding Smart Cities in India – Tryst with Technology

Smart City is the recent buzzword circulating in the Indian environment today. GOI has the current vision of developing 100 smart cities by including satellite towns of larger cities and by modernising the existing mid-sized cities.

What are ‘Smart Cities’?
With time, there has been an unrelenting exodus of people from rural towards urban areas in India, triggered by the digital economies, opportunities for work, access to education and other amenities. To support this unprecedented growth, innovative approaches and solutions of managing cities are being explored. This has culminated in the idea of technologically interconnected cities, aptly referred to as the “Smart Cities”.

A smart city aims to improve the quality of life of people by strengthening the city’s governance including physical, social and economic infrastructure. This requires smart solutions which obviously points to technology as a critical component in this mission. This vision could become a reality by leveraging all available assets including the creativity of citizens, proficiency of experts, business know-how, emerging technologies, tools and partners. Smart Cities embrace ideas that have been proven elsewhere and localise them to meet specific needs. For instance, innovative digital technologies implemented by Israel’s high-tech capital are being sought out as Israeli representatives are slated to mentor, consult and train Indian city officials in technological urban transformation.

As we reminisce about Indian cities today, one tends to ponder if India has the capability to actually realise this vision or will it remain a distant dream?
Can we indeed break away from the silos mentality?

Role of technology
With the ever-accelerating pace of development in computing followed by emergence of technologies like Internet of things, big data, cloud, smart phones, M2M integration, social web, the smart city dream in India can turn into a reality. Digital technologies or information and communication technologies (ICT) can play a major role in developing various sectors including government services,transport and traffic management, energy,health care, water and waste.

Big Data
Big Data is an essential component that is driving the ‘Smart City’ movement, and has gained prominence with the advent of social web and the emergence of interconnected devices that have created a world where data of all types of information exists. More than 80% of the world’s data has been created in recent years. The Big Data phenomenon has been characterised by volume, velocity and variety in data types that have been created at ever-increasing rates. Smart cities need to develop as operation centres where data from variety of sources, such as video from CCTV cameras, voice, social media, smart phones, streaming data, sensor logs, supervisory control systems and data acquisition (SCADA), traditional structured and unstructured data can be integrated to provide collaboration and situational aware decision-making (CSADM) capabilities to support the mission of the city.  

A few examples of Big data implementations in smart cities are illustrated below-

• Big Data Analytics can enable the city to predict and prevent issues ranging from traffic congestion to emergencies.

• Big data can help reduce emissions and bring down pollution. Sensors fitted in roads measure the total traffic at different times of a day and the total emissions. Traffic can be managed or diverted along other less congested areas to reduce carbon emissions in a particular area. Reduction in energy consumption leads to eco-friendly environment.

• Parking problems can be better managed. Cars with sensors attached will guide to the nearest available parking lots.

Internet of Things-IoT
Internet of things is a lucrative bet for infrastructure support of Indian cities in terms of data-driven systems for transport, waste management, law enforcement, and energy use to make them more efficient and improve the lives of citizens. Data is collected from various sources like smart phones, watches and other wearables, which also speak to each other. For example, garbage trucks will be alerted to the location of refuse that needs collecting, and sensors in cars will direct towards available parking spaces, intelligent street lighting which will switch off to conserve energy when streets are empty, extensive CCTV network will begin monitoring traffic and street lighting as well as crime and disorder.

Asia’s first end-to-end (Internet of Things-IoT) Innovation Hub is being developed in Bengaluru. Cisco has collaborated with Electronics City Industries Association (ELCIA) to establish a new ecosystem to help Electronic System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) companies and other companies of electronic city to build solutions for City Infrastructure Management (CIM) including Smart Parking, Smart CCTV Surveillance, Smart Street Lighting, Smart Water Management/Leak Detection and Community Messaging. A Smart Indian city can strive to be at the forefront of service excellence with the right infrastructure.

Cloud
Cloud is one of the latest technologies that is being harnessed for collaboration among different departments in Smart cities. To handle volumes, cloud-based solutions are emerging to lower the cost of managing data and to provide scalability and leverage economies of scale.
Unveiling the new cloud startup initiative to empower smart cities in India, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft will work closely with Justdial, Paytm and Snapdeal to help others develop solutions suitable for smart cities, apart from farming, healthcare and education. Nadella also spoke on plans to empower Indian cities through local startups. Startups can apply for access to Azure computing (Microsoft’s cloud services) for smart cities solutions. Cities can also apply for access to Azure through a new portal, which connects startups with cities. Smart cities have been adopted by various states, with Andhra Pradesh using the concept to build its capital, Amravati.

Mobile and Telecommunication
With the pervasive penetration of mobile in Indian market, it can prove to be a great tool for data collection. Smartphones are increasingly being used to monitor and share almost everything – from weather, geographic location, health, fitness levels, finance to household energy consumption, to name but a few. We also have access to new modes of telecommunication in the form of VOIP, video conferencing, internet TV, streaming music, among others. Mobile apps, tailored to every need, are slowing turning to substitute web applications. Mobile payment is increasingly becoming the preferred payment option for most transactions.

Social Web
Social technologies are turning to be an essential medium for better engagement with citizens. Data is indeed king. With the prominence of Internet and social media, open communication and interactions with common man has never been easier.The digitisation of our lives is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in our cities.Social media-based emergency alert and crisis response systems help citizen have access to vital information like an alert about a crime that just happened or advice regarding a cyclone approaching the city. Police forces can also use real-time data to detect and prevent crime.

Indian cities integrated with latest technologies are key to becoming ‘Smart’.
Smart cities can then prove to be the engine for India's economic and social growth.

Finally, it all depends on the delivery and execution of this grand vision.
Can the Smart City implementation be successful amidst the political and bureaucratic processes and systems?
Will technology prove to be the ultimate binding strength for India?
Will technology be able to remove the barriers of integration and enable India to become the much-awaited global super power?