Are We Building Self-Sustainable Smart Cities?

Aircel is one of India’s leading innovative mobile service providers. The company has 3G spectrum in 13 circles and is credited with the fastest 3G roll out ever in the Indian telecom space. The Smart Pocket Internet data plans by Aircel disrupted the way mobile internet was perceived and consumed. Aircel has deployment dedicated platform to offer IOT Services in 2015 and offering hosts of IOT services for enterprises.

- Uttam Kumar

Smart city technologies continue to experience rapid growth, both in the development of new devices and their applications within the city environment. According to an IDC report, cities’ investment in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies will increase by $97 billion from 2015 – 2019 globally. As the world continues to become increasingly interconnected, technology no longer revolves solely around the pure innovation and efficacy of a single product operating alone in a silo. Technology often must now operate within a connected ecosystem to more fully realize its value.

The Indian government in 2015 announced 100 cities for the Smart City project. The central government aims to transform about 100 cities by 2019-20, with the Union government providing financial support of Rs.48,000 crore over five years.

This is an ambitious multi-year program that aims at infusing modern technology into the country’s urban centers catapulting them into the modern age. And as per the definition by the Govt of India –“Smart Cities focus on their most pressing needs and on the greatest opportunities to improve lives. They tap a range of approaches – digital and information technologies, urban planning best practices, public-private partnerships, and policy change – to make a difference. They always put people first”.