The 3-day “Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization” Conference opened in Surat on Monday. 100 Smart Cities from across the country joined the mega conclave organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India with Surat Smart City Corporation Development Ltd., under the clarion call of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), given by Hon’ble Prime Minister to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Independence.
The opening day of the event showcased numerous interactive activities, interaction with eminent speakers was organized, and learning across the five themes – Reimagining Public Spaces, Digital Governance, Climate-Smart Cities, Innovation, and Smart Finance. Over 1000 participants from different parts of the country had registered for the mega conclave. The dignitaries visited five thematic pavilions demonstrating the variety of urban projects being developed in the Smart Cities.
India Smart Cities Awards Contest 2020 winners were felicitated, thus encouraging cities to adopt sustainable and smart solutions for urbanization and smart solution for urbanization.
Indore won 6 prizes for Smart Food Streets, Heritage Conservation, Waste Management, Innovation for Carbon Credit, and Best Smart City. Surat and Indore received awards as Best City and Uttar Pradesh was awarded the Best State.
Several initiatives were launched including Innovation Bazaar Pavilion, Urban Outcomes Framework 2022, Ministry’s integrated data portal- AMPLIFI, Inauguration of ‘Amaro Padosh’, Climate-Smart Cities Pavilion, Digital Governance Pavilion.
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, was the chief guest at the event. Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat addressed the participants through a Video Message. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore, Union Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh, Vinod Moradiya, Minister of Urban development and urban housing, Government of Gujarat, Dr. Audimulapu Suresh, Minister of Education, Andhra Pradesh, C.R. Patil, MP, and Hemali Kalpeshkumar Boghawala, Mayor, Surat marked their presence in the inaugural session. All key urban stakeholders from Central and State Governments joined the event.
