Smarter, Safer and Sustainable Cities Surat Teaming up with Washington, D.C

Issue 26 | July – September 2014

Paris French capital banks on intelligent Chicago car sharing to cut City saves CO2 emissions by $400,00 every year 75mn metric after 30,000 employees tonnes by 2023 have switched over to London Office 365 Integrated Transport for London website attracts 2.3 million hits/day by citizens seeking real-time insights to get around the city Smarter, safer and sustainable cities Surat Teaming up with Washington, D.C. Microsoft’s CityNext, A digital alliance it is poised to bring empowers all its services on Creating a real impact unemployed one virtual platform citizens, small businesses, for a better tomorrow educators and Supported by Microsoft’s BizSpark programme, Krishna has revolutionised agriculture future innovators through an affordable, state-of-the-art solution, which helps farmers produce global Auckland quality crops. BizSpark is a YouthSpark initiative that provides start-up companies Web-based apps help citizens access

This magazine is printed on recycled paper. This magazine is printed on recycled personalised transportation services with free software, support and visibility during the first three years.

Our YouthSpark programmes are aimed at empowering youth to imagine new possibilities and realise their full potential. We work with governments, academia, IN CONVERSATION nonprofits and businesses to provide youth with the technology, skills and opportunities to be successful. Amitabh Kant M.K. Das Prof. V. Srinivas Chary Secretary, Department Joint Managing Dean of Research and of Industrial Policy Director, Gujarat State Director, Centre of and Promotion, Petroleum Corporation Energy, Environment, Government of India and Former Urban Governance To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about Commissioner, and Infrastructure Find us on: www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia Surat Municipal Development, ASCI Corporation Letter from Cities look the Editor up to a smarter future

ith the Union Government underlining its commitment in the 2014-15 Budget to setting up 100 ‘smart cities’ Wacross the country, sustainable urban renewal powered by citizen-friendly technology is back in the forefront of the national agenda. This edition of Microsoft’s Perspective magazine therefore couldn’t have been timelier, for it takes a bird’s eye view of how smart technology is empowering cities, in India and around the world, to take on urban challenges that have snowballed because of population pressures and over-consumption of our planet’s  nite resources.

The highlights of this edition are three interviews with people who have a deep understanding of strategies for the sustainable development of our burgeoning cities. Having been the man responsible for  agging off the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the country’s  rst ‘smart city’ initiative, the present Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Mr. Amitabh Kant, makes a strong case for India adopting a model of developing “compact, dense and vertical cities” powered by digital technology and a well-oiled public transportation system.

Whereas Mr. Kant provides a global overview, Surat’s former Municipal Commissioner, Mr. M.K. Das, an expert in urban governance having also held key positions in the Vadodara and Ahmedabad municipal corporations, explains how digital technology has ensured 24x7 water supply to all residents, streamlined public transport and made government appointments transparent by effectively deploying digital technology.

Surat is India’s  rst city to align with Microsoft’s global sustainable urban renewal initiative, CityNext. In the words of Mr. Das, the municipal administration took this step to provide citizens with “an additional layer of comfort” by being able to “deliver all our services under one virtual roof, which can be accessed online from any part of the world.” And just in case you are wondering what CityNext is all about, turn to the Inside View of Microsoft India’s Director, Industry Solutions, Vikas Aggarwal on this worldwide initiative that enables city governments to leverage existing infrastructure and smart innovations to engage with citizens and address their aspirations even with their dwindling resources and over-stretched capacity.

An urban renewal expert with years of experience, Prof. V. Srinivas Chary, Dean of Research and Director, Centre of Energy, Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development, Administrative Staff College of India, enriches Creating a real impact this discussion by offering an overview of the many replicable smart technology-enabled solutions developed by city governments to plug leakages in power and water supplies, smarten up traf c management, and make buildings more energy ef cient. “Innovation,” emphasises Prof. Chary, “is critical to sustainable urbanisation.” for a better tomorrow This is not just another cliche, but the new global reality. It is evident from the sustainable solutions that city Devesh has developed a groundbreaking solution, which at first maps a child’s administrations have successfully put in place, which you will  nd out from the case studies shared in this edition. As actions, and then analyses that data to create apps and interactive games that countries like India urbanise at a faster pace than ever, the need to make cities smart and sustainable has never been enhance learning abilities in dyslexic children. This innovative solution won Devesh’s greater. The good news is that we have the technology and the solutions to make it possible. Cities around India and team the Imagine Cup national finals. Imagine Cup, a global technology competition, elsewhere in the world have shown how change for the better is the new reality. is a YouthSpark initiative that offers students a platform to use their creativity and knowledge to help address the world's social challenges. We hope you enjoy this issue of Perspective. You can also access the online version of the magazine at www.microsoft.com/en-in/about/perspective/ Our YouthSpark programmes are aimed at empowering youth to imagine new possibilities and realise their full potential. We work with governments, academia, Gauri Arora nonprofits and businesses to provide youth with the education, skills and Editor, Perspective opportunities to be successful. [email protected]

To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about Find us on: www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia 01 Letter from Cities look the Editor up to a smarter future

To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about Find us on: www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia 01 Contents 09 Chairman’s Message Urbanisation is gradually emerging as the focal point of India’s growth and inclusion story

01 Letter from the Editor t the centre of India’s growth and inclusion story is the theme of 03 Chairman’s Message Aurbanisation – both, the scale and speed of which are unprecedented. Estimates suggest that by 2030, nearly 40% of India’s total population, 24 Inside View by Vikas Aggarwal 16 some 580 million people, will be living in cities. India will have 68 cities with populations of more than 1 million, 13 cities with more than 4 million 30 Global View people, 6 mega cities with populations of 10 million or more and at least two of which (Mumbai and Delhi) will be among the largest  ve in the world*. While policy makers and experts see urbanisation as a proxy for development and point out that it is these cities which will become the centres and In Focus 04 drivers of economic growth; they are also now unanimous that challenges New Challenges, Newer Opportunities accompanied with this trend are immense. These include traf c congestion As India’s pace of urbanisation gathers momentum, that brings cities to halt; high levels of pollution; overcrowding of hospitals it is amply evident that resource-constrained and schools, water scarcity, and all the associated law and order problems. municipal administrations can deliver better results by The question we face therefore, is, how will this challenge be dealt with and harnessing people-centred technology to do ‘more how will cities meet their citizen’s aspirations? with less’ and ‘new with less’. CityNext is Microsoft’s response to this challenge. The initiative is premised on the idea that technology based solutions can rede ne urbanisation making it smarter and more intelligent. With CityNext, we envision working with Projections 08 29 all stakeholders – be it urban planners, city governments, policy makers or private entrepreneurs – to provide better, Megatrends Shaping Urban India faster and cheaper public services to a greater number of citizens. Our solutions encompass areas such as healthcare, education, citizen safety and traf c management to name a few. And while our global customers stand testimony to What stories do numbers tell about the growth how our solutions enhance effectiveness and reduce costs in provision of public services, we have now been working patterns and development challenges of the with Indian cities to customise and catalyse smart governance. country’s urban centres? The Report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services of the high-powered In the city of Surat for example, the city’s Police Department and Surat Traf c Education Trust – a private and public expert committee headed by Dr. Isher Judge partnership – are using a Microsoft platform to enhance safety by assisting the city police to proactively monitor, Ahluwalia offers some relevant pointers. analyse and to respond to security and crime threats. This has signi cantly reduced response time of law enforcing of cers. Ultimately, making the city safer. Similarly, in the healthcare space, CityNext’s products like Lync, are capable of Big Challenges transforming outcomes for aging patients who need care delivered and monitored, at home on an ongoing basis and Innovative Solutions 14 in real time. Similarly, the provision of quality education to a greater number of citizens is of paramount importance – yet problems of access to quality teaching cannot be addressed unless technology is deeply ingrained in education As cities grow, so do their problems with urban service planning and delivery. CityNext solutions provide platforms that make this possible with the ultimate goal of reducing delivery. Experiments around the country have thrown the digital divide and making cities more inclusive. up replicable models for sustainable growth. 32 Finally, we believe that while policy makers have long acknowledged the need for additional investment in urban infrastructure and for that matter urban renewal – they must recognise that the need of the hour is not just urbanisation per se, but smarter urbanisation which leverages technology. Indeed, this goal is at the core of CityNext vision, and we are prepared to partner with these cities as they move towards being socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and economically viable in the long run. Your feedback is important to us. Scan the QR Code with your We do realise that the challenge is big, but with this initiative; we want to convey that we are up for it. mobile device and tell us what Bhaskar Pramanik you think about this issue of the Perspective magazine. Chairman, Microsoft India * Source: McKinsey’s Report - “India’s Urban Awakening”

02 03 Contents 09 Chairman’s Message Urbanisation is gradually emerging as the focal point of India’s growth and inclusion story

02 03 Putting people- rst helping students achieve more of  nancial constraints, expectations In Focus New Challenges, through a 1:1 learning experience, of rapid return on investments, and Many high-pro le city innovation giving isolated populations access administrative complexity can be Newer Opportunities projects focus primarily on making to essential government services, even more dif cult. infrastructure “smart” by embedding providing the elderly with high- sensors and upgrading networking quality healthcare in their homes, As India steps on the accelerator for capabilities. This may be a critical supporting entrepreneurs to see faster yet sustainable urbanisation, foundational step, but limiting their ideas come to fruition more its municipal administrations and the conversation to infrastructure quickly, getting commuters home state governments will have to work misses an enormous opportunity to sooner, and giving city employees a out ways to address the challenges unlock the human potential within a real-time, one-city view so they can and proliferate the innovations city. Because at their core, cities are do their jobs better. required to make solutions work. about people. But the propeller of change can Formidable challenges, which are only be powered by solutions that Next-generation cities must multiplying at an explosive rate, put people- rst. Smart technology s India’s pace of urbanisation gathers momentum, it is amply evident that empower people in government, confront our city leaders today can be the engine of innovation businesses and the community and can negate some of the very and growth, but the best results can Aresource-constrained municipal administrations can deliver better results by through innovation to build a elements that make cities attractive be ensured only when citizens and harnessing people-centred technology to do ‘more with less’ and ‘new with less’. more sustainable lifestyle across in the  rst place. These challenges businesses are at the centre of all economic, environmental, and are not new, but their scale and development models. social spheres. A people- rst intensity are unprecedented. Engines of the Possibilities for entrepreneurship approach means, for instance, Addressing these issues in the face and employment increase when • The number of metropolitan new economy urban concentration takes place, cities (or cities with a population of one million or We must keep our planet in in contrast to the dispersed and more) will go up to 87 by 2031, the pink of health not only for less diverse economic possibilities a signi cantly higher number ourselves, but also for the unborn in rural areas. This enables faster than the present 50 generations. We cannot, for our inclusion of more people in the own good, reverse the progress growth process and is therefore • The population of these cities of urbanisation, but we have to more inclusive. will rise from the present 160 temper it with smart governance, India has just 31 per cent of its million to 255 million by 2031 sustainable living and enabling population living in cities and technologies. Do more with less. • Other cities and towns will see towns, signi cantly below the Create new opportunities with less. their combined population global average of 50-plus (or These are the new growth mantras climb up from the present 217 Mexico’s 78 per cent and Brazil’s for sustainable cities. India, more million to 343 million by 2031 83 per cent). It is not going to be than any other nation, needs at the same for long. Consider these • The urban share of the once to make this critical paradigm statistics highlighted in the 2011 country’s Gross Domestic shift as it faces up to the multiple report of the high-powered expert Product (GDP), which was 63 challenges of rapid urbanisation. committee headed by the noted per cent in 2009-10 (again, Cities are the laboratories of the economist, Isher Judge Ahluwalia. below the global average), will future and the engines of our go up to a more substantial 75 economies. “What happens in our per cent in 2031 cities, simply put, matters more than what happens anywhere 600 else,” says Parag Khanna, globally acclaimed author and international relations expert in Foreign Policy million magazine. “From climate change India’s urban to poverty and inequality, cities are population in 2031, the problem -- and the solution.” Urbanisation, it is now Urbanisation, it is now universally up from the 377 universally acknowledged, acknowledged, is the necessary million recorded in is the necessary precursor precursor to economic growth. the 2011 Census to economic growth

04 05 Putting people- rst helping students achieve more of  nancial constraints, expectations In Focus New Challenges, through a 1:1 learning experience, of rapid return on investments, and Many high-pro le city innovation giving isolated populations access administrative complexity can be Newer Opportunities projects focus primarily on making to essential government services, even more dif cult. infrastructure “smart” by embedding providing the elderly with high- sensors and upgrading networking quality healthcare in their homes, As India steps on the accelerator for capabilities. This may be a critical supporting entrepreneurs to see faster yet sustainable urbanisation, foundational step, but limiting their ideas come to fruition more its municipal administrations and the conversation to infrastructure quickly, getting commuters home state governments will have to work misses an enormous opportunity to sooner, and giving city employees a out ways to address the challenges unlock the human potential within a real-time, one-city view so they can and proliferate the innovations city. Because at their core, cities are do their jobs better. required to make solutions work. about people. But the propeller of change can Formidable challenges, which are only be powered by solutions that Next-generation cities must multiplying at an explosive rate, put people- rst. Smart technology s India’s pace of urbanisation gathers momentum, it is amply evident that empower people in government, confront our city leaders today can be the engine of innovation businesses and the community and can negate some of the very and growth, but the best results can Aresource-constrained municipal administrations can deliver better results by through innovation to build a elements that make cities attractive be ensured only when citizens and harnessing people-centred technology to do ‘more with less’ and ‘new with less’. more sustainable lifestyle across in the  rst place. These challenges businesses are at the centre of all economic, environmental, and are not new, but their scale and development models. social spheres. A people- rst intensity are unprecedented. Engines of the Possibilities for entrepreneurship approach means, for instance, Addressing these issues in the face and employment increase when • The number of metropolitan new economy urban concentration takes place, cities (or cities with a population of one million or We must keep our planet in in contrast to the dispersed and more) will go up to 87 by 2031, the pink of health not only for less diverse economic possibilities a signi cantly higher number ourselves, but also for the unborn in rural areas. This enables faster than the present 50 generations. We cannot, for our inclusion of more people in the own good, reverse the progress growth process and is therefore • The population of these cities of urbanisation, but we have to more inclusive. will rise from the present 160 temper it with smart governance, India has just 31 per cent of its million to 255 million by 2031 sustainable living and enabling population living in cities and technologies. Do more with less. • Other cities and towns will see towns, signi cantly below the Create new opportunities with less. their combined population global average of 50-plus (or These are the new growth mantras climb up from the present 217 Mexico’s 78 per cent and Brazil’s for sustainable cities. India, more million to 343 million by 2031 83 per cent). It is not going to be than any other nation, needs at the same for long. Consider these • The urban share of the once to make this critical paradigm statistics highlighted in the 2011 country’s Gross Domestic shift as it faces up to the multiple report of the high-powered expert Product (GDP), which was 63 challenges of rapid urbanisation. committee headed by the noted per cent in 2009-10 (again, Cities are the laboratories of the economist, Isher Judge Ahluwalia. below the global average), will future and the engines of our go up to a more substantial 75 economies. “What happens in our per cent in 2031 cities, simply put, matters more than what happens anywhere 600 else,” says Parag Khanna, globally acclaimed author and international relations expert in Foreign Policy million magazine. “From climate change India’s urban to poverty and inequality, cities are population in 2031, the problem -- and the solution.” Urbanisation, it is now Urbanisation, it is now universally up from the 377 universally acknowledged, acknowledged, is the necessary million recorded in is the necessary precursor precursor to economic growth. the 2011 Census to economic growth

04 05 Projected number of New cities that India metropolitan cities of needs to develop to 87 one million people or assure a good quality more in India by 2031 500 of life to rural migrants

The share of cities in India’s Gross Domestic 75% Product in 2031, up from 63% at present

Exploding cities, transition, which will see India’s poverty be effectively addressed Every minute, 30 Indians are leaving high-powered expert committee challenge and an unprecedented urban population reach a  gure if the needs of the urban poor are their native villages and move to yet again, “India cannot afford to opportunity to learn from the strained resources close to 600 million by 2031, is not isolated from the broader challenges urban centres to build a new life get its urban strategy wrong, but it mistakes of infrastructure- But our cities are also facing simply a shift of demographics. It of managing urbanisation. full of opportunities. We have little cannot get it right without bringing challenged cities, and create new daunting issues as the march places cities and towns at the centre time to prepare for the inevitable about a fundamental shift in the smart and sustainable cities. Smart, sustainable cities are towards urbanisation unleashes of India’s development trajectory. strains that this rapid, and mostly mindset which separates the rural equally critical to the health of the Existing cities and towns, meanwhile, a new wave of challenges; from In the coming decades, the urban unplanned, move towards higher from the urban.” rural economy. The report of the have to confront the stark realities the need to modernise aging sector will play a critical role in the levels of urbanisation will place high-powered expert committee Being a late urbaniser India has clear of aging infrastructure, new hazards infrastructure in older cities to structural transformation of the on the infrastructure of our cities. explains how: “The fortunes of the advantages. The late management to public health and safety, and scaling the demand for natural Indian economy and in sustaining Our urban planning, infrastructure agricultural sector are crucially guru C.K. Prahalad had estimated the inherent uncertainty of natural resources and sustaining the health the high rates of economic growth.” development and public service linked to the manner in which that India urgently needs to develop disasters, climate change, and global and safety of their citizens. delivery mechanisms must be Because cities are at the centre of the growth in the industry and services geared to address this challenge. 500 new cities to accommodate and national economic forces. City The urgency of addressing these country’s future growth story, their sectors unfolds. People living in rural its rising mass of urban settlers leaders must meet these growing issues has never been greater. collective health will have a telling areas typically tap the opportunities And we cannot go back to old and offer them a higher quality demands with tight budgets and Addressing the implications of effect on the state of the nation. that cities provide for employment, solutions. These will have to be of life. Otherwise, every existing greater citizen expectations while India’s urbanisation momentum, Their economic growth momentum entrepreneurial avenues, learning, technology-enabled to make city will become a vast slum by the working across a complex mass of the report of the high-powered cannot be sustained if urbanisation is and monetary repatriation.” a meaningful difference to our time India turns 75 in 2022. This agencies used to work in silos. expert committee states: “This not actively facilitated, nor can urban expanding cities. To quote the development imperative is both a

06 07 Projected number of New cities that India metropolitan cities of needs to develop to 87 one million people or assure a good quality more in India by 2031 500 of life to rural migrants

The share of cities in India’s Gross Domestic 75% Product in 2031, up from 63% at present

06 07 Projections Megatrends Shaping Urban India

hat stories do numbers tell about the growth Wpatterns and development challenges of the country’s urban centres? The Report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services of the high-powered expert committee headed by Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia offers some relevant pointers.

Slow but steady Not yet a migrant An emerging expansion magnet GDP driver

Available estimates suggest that Rural-urban migration has In industrialised economies, by 2031, India’s urban population contributed a little over 20 per economic activity in urban areas would climb up to 598 million, or cent to the growth of urban areas accounts for as much as 80 per just short of 40 per cent of the total in India. The migration from cent of the GDP. The urban share of population. The urban population, villages has been largely to the economic activity in less-developed according to UN projections, is likely metropolitan cities, and the small economies is typically around 50 to cross that of rural India by 2045. and medium towns, whose growth per cent. In India, in 1999-2000, rates have actually slowed down. cities and towns contributed 51.7 The number of ‘metropolitan cities’ per cent to the GDP, and the share with a population of one million or The percentage may go up was estimated to be around 62 per more has gone up from  ve in 1951 substantially if, according to cent in 2009-10. to 50 in 2011, and is expected to go the projections in McKinsey’s up to 87 by 2031. The existing 50 2010 report on the country’s Rising levels of per capita income metropolitan cities, which include urbanisation prospects, over the are associated with higher levels of eight with a population of  ve period 2010-2030, urban India urbanisation and the relationship million or more, account for 42.3 per creates 70 per cent of all new is statistically signi cant. Tamil cent of the total urban population jobs and these jobs are twice Nadu is the most urbanised state of the country. The ‘Big Eight’ are as productive as employment with 54.4 per cent of its population Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, opportunities in the rural sector. living in urban areas, followed by Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad Maharashtra (46.2 per cent) and and Pune, the last two being the Gujarat (40.3 per cent). The seven latest entrants. states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, The number of Rural-urban migration Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar ‘metropolitan cities’ has contributed a little Pradesh accounted for 62 per cent with a population of over 20 per cent to the of the country’s urban population one million is expected growth of urban areas in 2011. to go up from 50 in in India Note: In India, urban areas are de ned as all statutory places with a municipality, municipal corporation, cantonment board, or noti ed town area committee, and all places satisfying the following three criteria simultaneously: (i) a minimum population of 5,000; (ii) at least 75 per cent of male working population 2011 to 87 by 2031 engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and (iii) a population density of at least 400 per sq.km.

08 09 Projections Megatrends Shaping Urban India

Slow but steady Not yet a migrant An emerging expansion magnet GDP driver

08 09 News Review “India needs new cities In Conversation “ICT is as important that are compact, dense as power and water and vertical and occupy no more than 10 square for our green eld kilometres.” cities.” Amitabh Kant Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India

pending an hour with Amitabh Kant, one of the country’s best-known Sbureaucrats popularly known as “India’s Can-Do Man”, means being bombarded with exciting and original ideas. The driver of Incredible India, one of the country’s most successful international brand campaigns, he is now the Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India. Previous to his elevation, he was the Chairman and Managing Director, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), the government’s most ambitious integrated green eld urbanisation initiative. The Kerala-cadre IAS of cer (1980 Batch) shares his wealth of insights on how it is critical to embed ICT into the new planned cities that are coming up across the country so that they are smart and sustainable.

Why is planned urbanisation so at the present rate, our cities will model of developed countries, a important to India’s sustainable see the steady in ux of 350 million resource base four times the size of growth story? people by 2030. This number is our planet would be necessary to expected to double to 700 million support their growth. Alas, we have The biggest challenge for India is by 2050. This is almost two and a only one Earth. to achieve a 9-10 per cent annual half times the present population growth rate on a sustained basis for of USA. Urbanisation will be India’s We have no choice therefore but three decades and more in order biggest challenge. to opt for planned sustainable to be able to continually create urbanisation to support such high jobs for its vast young population. Rapid urbanisation will inevitably levels of population growth in our Manufacturing alone can be the key lead to immense strains on catalyst of this level of growth and our natural resources. Is it the its most visible consequence will be sensible way forward? Delhi-Mumbai rapid urbanisation. 9-10% Yes, urbanisation is accompanied by Industrial Corridor The annual growth The government’s most ambitious integrated Historically, planned urbanisation a voracious consumption of natural green eld urbanisation initiative will spur the has been the driver of economic resources. Cities occupy 3 per cent rate India must development of new smart cities along the growth. It is not going to be any of the earth’s land surface, house achieve for 3 decades different for India, which is getting half of its human population, use upcoming Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor. to continually create Some of the hotspots are highlighted on the into the process of urbanisation. 75 per cent of the resources, and map to the right. Every minute, 30 rural Indians are account for two-thirds of all energy jobs for the youth moving into urban centres and if and greenhouse gas emissions. If this unplanned migration continues developing countries emulate the

10 11 News Review “India needs new cities In Conversation “ICT is as important that are compact, dense as power and water and vertical and occupy no more than 10 square for our green eld kilometres.” cities.” Amitabh Kant Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India

10 11 cities and towns. In several emerging in the development of new cities. Dholera, Pithampur, Shendra-Bidkin, economies, urbanisation has helped What is the message of China’s Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra lift vast segments of the population urbanisation process for India? 39.1% At 920 sq. km., Dholera will be A 22km economic corridor is being The Shendra-Bidkin industrial above the poverty line. Traditionally, India has been a The reduction of waste bigger than Singapore developed between Pithampur and park is being developed on What direction must sustainable reluctant urbaniser because of the in Yokohama, Japan, the Indore airport 8,340 hectares urbanisation take in our country? overpowering in uence of Mahatma Is there an international model Gandhi’s idea of self-suf cient which saved the city that we can follow? villages on the thinking of successive $5 billion governments. China believed in the When America was urbanising, it same philosophy and experienced had land, water and fossil fuels in the same level of growth as India till abundance. It was therefore possible 1974, which is when its leadership for America to build sprawling cities realised that no economy can such as Atlanta. Today, the three grow entirely on the back of its natural resources are under severe agricultural sector. What are some of global lessons pressure and cities like Atlanta are that we can draw upon as the luxuries that India cannot afford. The Chinese leadership recognised pace of planned urbanisation urbanisation as an essential picks up in the country? feature of economic development We have several examples of urban and a major component of rejuvenation from around the world, industrialisation and modernisation. 66% but I shall limit myself to mentioning It was this thinking that led China only three. Kitakyushu in Japan was The percentage of to partner with Singapore to the most polluted city in the world develop the city of Suzhou. Since citizens who use public in the 1970s. Industrialisation had then, 498 planned new cities have transport in Barcelona, played havoc with it, so much so sprouted all over China, spurring that the colour of the water of Dokai a city that could be a the phenomenal growth of the Bay had turned from blue to yellow. role model for rapidly country. Mayors in China have been urbanising India competing with one another to It soon earned the nickname ‘sea of create new cities and the successful death’ and the women of the city Three of the seven upcoming ones have gone on to rise rapidly took to the streets to protest against green eld cities being developed on Atlanta is a city made for cars, not in the Communist Party hierarchy. this degradation. Responding to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor for people – 98.2 per cent of its Our model of urbanisation, however, the agitation, Japan’s Ministry population travels by cars. Its carbon has to be based on our inherent of Economy, Trade and Industry footprint, as a result, is 12 times strengths. We must create our own launched a programme for the How relevant is Microsoft’s water. China is already moving in is expected to become operational higher than that of Barcelona, 66 unique innovative, sustainable transformation of the city. Today, CityNext initiative in this new this direction. It is working with within 2017. per cent of whose citizens use public Indian model of urbanisation. everything is recycled in Kitakyushu phase of urbanisation? Singapore and the Koreans to transport and 17 per cent either and this signi cant collective move How can we leapfrog over this develop Tianjin, its fourth largest Will our existing cities and cycle or walk. Cities like Barcelona has helped Dokai Bay regain its widening gap with China and An initiative such as CityNext is city, into a smart city. We are doing towns be completely left out of have to be the role models for original colour. transform ourselves from late an important model because it with our the seven new cities that this ‘smartening up’ process? rapidly urbanising India. starters to late bloomers? it addresses the challenge of In Yokohama, also in Japan, a mayor are coming up on the Delhi-Mumbai Not at all. It is equally important was able to lead his city to reduce integrating different utilities and Industrial Corridor. An ef cient public transportation India is fairly advanced in the use to rejuvenate brown eld cities and the waste it generated by 39.1 per public safety on one layer of ICT. system, which is used by the of technology, which it can use to smarten them up using ICT in the cent. It saved the city $5 billion. It also enables real-time  ow of Construction of three of these cities majority of its citizens, is as much at leapfrog stages of development and way China is doing with Tianjin. We From Singapore, I can cite the information to all stakeholders. And – Dholera in Gujarat, Shendra-Bidkin the core of smart cities as is digital embark on a programme of well- can start with the NDMC area of example of its water management by giving municipal administrations in Maharashtra and Pithampur technology, which enables municipal planned urbanisation. The country Delhi because it has advantage of system. Its dual piping system a tool to collect information and in Madhya Pradesh – has already administrations to cut across vertical needs new cities that are compact, having a single agency responsible ensures all sewage water gets analyse data, it can facilitate the begun. At 920 sq. km., Dholera will silos and bring real-time governance dense and vertical, riding on the for all utilities. It can be turned into a recycled and reused. Astonishingly, process of  nding solutions to urban be bigger than Singapore! These to the citizens. India needs a back of a public transport system smart city on the lines of Barcelona. 10 per cent of its recycled sewage infrastructure problems. cities will ride on new manufacturing creative and innovative strategy for and ICT, and highly livable like If we can do it, it can become a water is even made  t for human hubs whose backbone will be the urbanisation drawing on the best Singapore and Hong Kong. Our new Green eld cities that come up in demonstration model for the rest consumption. Cities have got to be Delhi (Dadri)-Mumbai (Jawaharlal lessons from across the world. cities must not occupy more than 10 the country will have to embed of India. And nothing works like a centres of innovation, creativity and Nehru Port) dedicated freight square kilometres. ICT. It is as important as power and successful demonstration model. We have fallen far behind China sustainable growth. corridor of the India Railways, which

12 13 cities and towns. In several emerging in the development of new cities. Dholera, Pithampur, Shendra-Bidkin, economies, urbanisation has helped What is the message of China’s Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra lift vast segments of the population urbanisation process for India? 39.1% At 920 sq. km., Dholera will be A 22km economic corridor is being The Shendra-Bidkin industrial above the poverty line. Traditionally, India has been a The reduction of waste bigger than Singapore developed between Pithampur and park is being developed on What direction must sustainable reluctant urbaniser because of the in Yokohama, Japan, the Indore airport 8,340 hectares urbanisation take in our country? overpowering in uence of Mahatma Is there an international model Gandhi’s idea of self-suf cient which saved the city that we can follow? villages on the thinking of successive $5 billion governments. China believed in the When America was urbanising, it same philosophy and experienced had land, water and fossil fuels in the same level of growth as India till abundance. It was therefore possible 1974, which is when its leadership for America to build sprawling cities realised that no economy can such as Atlanta. Today, the three grow entirely on the back of its natural resources are under severe agricultural sector. What are some of global lessons pressure and cities like Atlanta are that we can draw upon as the luxuries that India cannot afford. The Chinese leadership recognised pace of planned urbanisation urbanisation as an essential picks up in the country? feature of economic development We have several examples of urban and a major component of rejuvenation from around the world, industrialisation and modernisation. 66% but I shall limit myself to mentioning It was this thinking that led China only three. Kitakyushu in Japan was The percentage of to partner with Singapore to the most polluted city in the world develop the city of Suzhou. Since citizens who use public in the 1970s. Industrialisation had then, 498 planned new cities have transport in Barcelona, played havoc with it, so much so sprouted all over China, spurring that the colour of the water of Dokai a city that could be a the phenomenal growth of the Bay had turned from blue to yellow. role model for rapidly country. Mayors in China have been urbanising India competing with one another to It soon earned the nickname ‘sea of create new cities and the successful death’ and the women of the city Three of the seven upcoming ones have gone on to rise rapidly took to the streets to protest against green eld cities being developed on Atlanta is a city made for cars, not in the Communist Party hierarchy. this degradation. Responding to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor for people – 98.2 per cent of its Our model of urbanisation, however, the agitation, Japan’s Ministry population travels by cars. Its carbon has to be based on our inherent of Economy, Trade and Industry footprint, as a result, is 12 times strengths. We must create our own launched a programme for the How relevant is Microsoft’s water. China is already moving in is expected to become operational higher than that of Barcelona, 66 unique innovative, sustainable transformation of the city. Today, CityNext initiative in this new this direction. It is working with within 2017. per cent of whose citizens use public Indian model of urbanisation. everything is recycled in Kitakyushu phase of urbanisation? Singapore and the Koreans to transport and 17 per cent either and this signi cant collective move How can we leapfrog over this develop Tianjin, its fourth largest Will our existing cities and cycle or walk. Cities like Barcelona has helped Dokai Bay regain its widening gap with China and An initiative such as CityNext is city, into a smart city. We are doing towns be completely left out of have to be the role models for original colour. transform ourselves from late an important model because it with our the seven new cities that this ‘smartening up’ process? rapidly urbanising India. starters to late bloomers? it addresses the challenge of In Yokohama, also in Japan, a mayor are coming up on the Delhi-Mumbai Not at all. It is equally important was able to lead his city to reduce integrating different utilities and Industrial Corridor. An ef cient public transportation India is fairly advanced in the use to rejuvenate brown eld cities and the waste it generated by 39.1 per public safety on one layer of ICT. system, which is used by the of technology, which it can use to smarten them up using ICT in the cent. It saved the city $5 billion. It also enables real-time  ow of Construction of three of these cities majority of its citizens, is as much at leapfrog stages of development and way China is doing with Tianjin. We From Singapore, I can cite the information to all stakeholders. And – Dholera in Gujarat, Shendra-Bidkin the core of smart cities as is digital embark on a programme of well- can start with the NDMC area of example of its water management by giving municipal administrations in Maharashtra and Pithampur technology, which enables municipal planned urbanisation. The country Delhi because it has advantage of system. Its dual piping system a tool to collect information and in Madhya Pradesh – has already administrations to cut across vertical needs new cities that are compact, having a single agency responsible ensures all sewage water gets analyse data, it can facilitate the begun. At 920 sq. km., Dholera will silos and bring real-time governance dense and vertical, riding on the for all utilities. It can be turned into a recycled and reused. Astonishingly, process of  nding solutions to urban be bigger than Singapore! These to the citizens. India needs a back of a public transport system smart city on the lines of Barcelona. 10 per cent of its recycled sewage infrastructure problems. cities will ride on new manufacturing creative and innovative strategy for and ICT, and highly livable like If we can do it, it can become a water is even made  t for human hubs whose backbone will be the urbanisation drawing on the best Singapore and Hong Kong. Our new Green eld cities that come up in demonstration model for the rest consumption. Cities have got to be Delhi (Dadri)-Mumbai (Jawaharlal lessons from across the world. cities must not occupy more than 10 the country will have to embed of India. And nothing works like a centres of innovation, creativity and Nehru Port) dedicated freight square kilometres. ICT. It is as important as power and successful demonstration model. We have fallen far behind China sustainable growth. corridor of the India Railways, which

12 13 slums, which lack basic water supply Projections Big Challenges, and sanitation facilities; in Greater Mumbai, slum dwellers account for Innovative 54 per cent of the total population. Solutions Eighteen per cent of urban households do not have access to any toilet facility and are compelled to defecate in the open.

A City Sanitation Study by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, found none of the 423 cities under its scanner to be ‘healthy’ and ‘clean’. Close to s cities grow, so do their problems with urban service 190 were rated to be in a state of a Adelivery. Experiments around the country have thrown health and environment emergency. up replicable models for sustainable growth. The lack of waste water treatment, according to estimates, leads to over $15 billion being spent yearly in 24x7 water treating water-borne diseases in India. not a pipe dream In the Ganges Basin, 223 towns and The Challenge cities generate 8,250 million litres of Turning waste Solid Waste Management Rules sewage daily, of which about 2,500 The duration of water supply in Indian 2000 were noti ed, Rajkot Municipal million litres are disposed of without into wealth cities ranges from an hour to six hours, Corporation set up a modern treatment directly into the holy processing plant for solid waste and compared with 24 hours in Brazil and The Challenge river and 4,250 million litres into its China and 22 hours in Vietnam. engaged Hanjer Biotech Energies tributaries. The Energy and Resources Institute Pvt. Ltd. to develop and run it. Sixty-four per cent of India’s urban (TERI) has estimated that by 2047, A Solution population is covered by individual waste generation in Indian cities The state government provided water connections, compared with 91 Alandur, a residential suburb of will increase  ve-fold to touch 260 land to the Municipal Corporation, per cent in China, 86 per cent in South Chennai in Kanchipuram district million tonnes per year, implying which in turn leased out 30 acres to Africa, and 80 per cent in Brazil. with a population of 150,000, had no that the present rate of solid Hanjer at Re 1 per sq. m. per year. underground sewerage until 2000. waste generation is more than 50 The remaining land was earmarked A Solution Almost 80 per cent of households million tonnes per year. Solid waste and used for a sanitary land ll. The It is not impossible for urban local had to depend on septic tanks with generated in our cities is likely to rise project was initiated in 2003 and the bodies to ensure 24x7 water supply. soak pits. The urban landscape of at the rate of 5 per cent a year. plant became operational in 2006. The Government of Karnataka has Alandur was transformed between The waste collection infrastructure The city waste is  rst brought shown it can be done. More than 2000 and 2005 by an infrastructure of our urban centres, though, is not to the site in dumpers and then 25,000 households now receive 24x7 project providing a comprehensive geared up to face the challenge. segregated. The wet organic waste water supply, thanks to the World underground sewerage network and Its area of coverage ranges from (20-30 per cent) is transformed into Bank-assisted Karnataka Urban Water sewage treatment plant. 70 per cent to 90 per cent in organic compost. The dry organic Sector Improvement Project, which This has been accomplished over metropolitan cities, but is less than waste is compressed into high was launched in 2005 at  ve selected Losses, as a result, were reduced Providing sewerage  ve years with direct participation 50 per cent in smaller cities. Worse, calori c fuel (‘green coal’) and sold zones in three cities (Belgaum, from 50 per cent to 7 per cent due by the people, who funded a less than 30 per cent of the solid to the cement and paper industries. Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad). to improvements in transmission, for all substantial part of the project waste generated across Indian The recyclable waste (5 per cent), distribution and metering. The Challenge The Public Private Partnership by making income-linked cash cities is segregated. consisting of rubber, plastic, and (PPP) project included investments A similar PPP experiment in Nagpur An overwhelming majority of 4,861 deposits. The project involved the metals, is sold in the junk market. A Solution to improve the bulk water supply has ensured 24x7 water supply to out of the country’s 5,161 cities/ construction of a sewer line covering Only 10-15 per cent of the waste and the appointment of a private 10 per cent of the city’s residents. towns do not have even a partial the entire road length of 137km and Rajkot, Gujarat’s fourth largest city, collected is sent to the land ll. From operator to construct, operate The success of the experiment sewerage network. a pump house, and the installation generates about 300 metric tonnes the daily collection of 300 metric and manage a 24x7 urban water has encouraged the municipal of 5,650 manholes as well as 23,700 of solid waste daily, which was tonnes of waste, Hanjer produces 40 On average, 25 per cent of the supply system for two years, after corporation to extend it to the connections to service homes. earlier collected and dumped on the metric tonnes of bio-fertilisers, 70 of population in Indian cities lives in a preparatory phase of 18 months. entire city. city’s outskirts. After the Municipal ‘green coal’ and 2.5 of plastic.

14 15 slums, which lack basic water supply Projections Big Challenges, and sanitation facilities; in Greater Mumbai, slum dwellers account for Innovative 54 per cent of the total population. Solutions Eighteen per cent of urban households do not have access to any toilet facility and are compelled to defecate in the open.

14 15 Smart Technology Makes a Difference

ndia’s IT industry has successfully in some cities. Similarly, Supervisory permissions are being given in the Iserviced multinational companies Control And Data Acquisition Greater Hyderabad area within four across the world and the corporate (SCADA) is being used successfully days, and construction is being sector in India to help improve for better water management monitored at intervals of 15 days to their productivity. It is high time IT in cities such as Hyderabad, ensure compliance. is used for improving governance Bangalore, Tirupur, and Nagpur. in public service delivery in The Global Positioning System A number of ULBs have made Indian cities. In the last few years, (GPS) is being employed to track progress on the basic aspects of there has been some progress in and monitor bus services in Surat e-governance like creation of using IT in urban management, and Indore. websites, uploading of information, but ULBs (urban local bodies) and payment gateways for property are yet to leverage the power of More recently, the Greater tax and water bills. But states differ e-governance to the fullest extent. Hyderabad Municipal Corporation substantially in their e-readiness has started combining the use of and approach to e-governance. By doing away with the mobile phones with Global Packet The availability of a support discretionary powers vested in a Radio Services (GPRS) for off-site infrastructure, reliability and reach few of cials, e-governance cuts real time monitoring of the delivery of electricity, telecommunications at the roots of corruption and of services such as solid waste links, band connectivity, and skills inef ciency. For example, the management and street lighting, are crucial for making e-governance Geographical Information System and ensuring compliance with effective. It needs to be supported (GIS) can be used to improve urban building laws. Since November by IT literacy with local language land management and make it 2010, using these instruments content and applications. Accelerating public transport more transparent, as is being done of high technology, building

Source: Report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services of the high-powered expert committee headed by Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia The Challenge The per capita emission levels in Indore City Transport Services Ltd, Public services account for a mere the country’s seven largest cities which has put in place a GPS-driven 22 per cent of urban transport in are at least three times higher than tracking system to monitor the India, compared with 49 per cent in the World Health Organisation bus services and has also installed lower middle income countries (the standard. Of a total of 127 cities/ passenger information systems at Philippines, Venezuela and Egypt) towns covered by the National Air bus stops to alert users and track and 40 per cent in upper middle Quality Monitoring Programme, the movement of buses. income countries (South Africa, 101 report at least one pollutant Surat’s bus  eet of 125, established South Korea and Brazil). exceeding the annual average air quality standard. in 2008 and operating on 44 Only 20 out of India’s 85 cities with routes, carries 70,000 passengers a population of 500,000 or more Considering that India has fewer daily. As in Indore, the operation had a bus service when last cars per capita than developed of bus services in Surat has been surveyed in 2009. countries, this must re ect the poor outsourced to the private sector. quality of fuel and traf c congestion. The municipal corporations of the The share of two-wheelers in the The estimated use of fuel by vehicles two cities have found innovative total  eet of fossil fuel-driven in 2035 will be six times higher than ways of investing in the public vehicles is a whopping 72 per cent. the 2005 level, which is expected to transport infrastructure, monitoring Their owners can be in uenced to further worsen air quality. traf c and ensuring satisfactory make the switch to public transport. delivery of services. With the marginal cost of using a A Solution two-wheeler being less than the Indore, which did not have a public Surat’s bus  eet of 125, price citizens pay for taking public transport system until 2006, now has established in 2008 transport, moving commuters from a city-wide service with a  eet of 104 and operating on 44 private two-wheelers to public buses operating on 24 routes. It is routes, carries 70,000 transport is a major challenge. run by a special purpose vehicle, the passengers daily

16 17 Smart Technology Makes a Difference

16 17 News Review also computerised. Payments to The idea behind our association with In Conversation “We have aligned stakeholders are made directly to Microsoft’s CityNext initiative is to give 8 their accounts, leaving no room citizens a different layer of comfort. with Microsoft’s for corruption. All recruitments We have identi ed areas such as Number of languages are made in a transparent manner town planning, project management CityNext initiative in which classes are with OCR-based examination and engagement with citizens where taught in Surat’s and processing, which has not CityNext will bene t the people of to give citizens only introduced transparency in Surat. More importantly, CityNext 300-plus schools governance, but also enhanced the does not require us to create new a new layer of faith of job-seekers in our system. systems to enhance our engagement They now believe that a meritocracy with citizens. comfort.” is in place. An IT-enabled city needs a tech-savvy population. With this It will eventually help us integrate all thought at the back of our mind, we our services and empower citizens without altering the platform. Earlier, URAT, India’s diamond capital, is the  rst city in the country where Microsoft What have you done to use IT have introduced computer software training in all schools. people had to take a break from will roll out its CityNext initiative in partnership with the municipal corporation. solutions to ensure a better quality work and queue up at our various S of life for Surat’s residents? Joint Managing Director of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation and Former How are you raising of ces just to collect forms. This  nances for these many was a waste of people’s productive Municipal Commissioner M.K. Das, a Gujarat-cadre, 1990-batch IAS of cer, explains Take our experience with water supply. Few cities can claim to development initiatives? time and of valuable fuel spent on how this initiative will impact the lives of the citizens of Surat and enable the civic have an ISO-certi ed water supply transport. Now, with CityNext, we To sustain such a pace of can deliver all our services under body to deliver improved services to the people. An IIT-Kharagpur Computer system. We can. We have used IT development, the civic body needs to put in place a system wherein one virtual roof, which can be Science and Engineering graduate, Das has been a deputy commissioner with the to shore up its earnings. We are accessed online from any part of the all our water treatment plants are doing it by increasing our property Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and during his  ve-year tenure as Vadodara’s run using Supervisory Control world. This takes engagement with tax collections. We are in the process citizens to an entirely new level. Municipal Commissioner, the city government bagged eight national awards. And Data Acquisition (SCADA), of introducing a GIS (Geographical without any human intervention. Surat has experienced ranked Surat No. 1 on two counts – This ensures optimum utilisation phenomenal growth in the citizen satisfaction and perception of water and minimal wastage. past three decades. Has this of the local government – in an 15 The quality of water supply is also No. 4 progress brought about its all-India survey of cities. People monitored throughout the day. We share of challenges? complain of unemployment, but Number of  yovers are con dent that we will have no Position of Surat we have negative unemployment. and bridges water problem even if 50 lakh more among the world’s Surat is the fourth fastest-growing People are working double shifts completed by Surat people are added to Surat. fastest growing city in the world. Its population has and we have 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh jobs risen from 7 lakh in 1981 to 50 lakh that are waiting to be taken. Municipal Corporation We have also put in place a cities, after Beihei at present, and just 7-10 lakh of the in past 12 months vehicle tracking system to ensure (China), Ghaziabad city’s residents have their roots in that our door-to-door waste Surat. The rest are migrants – 25 lakh collection programme takes place and Sana’a (Yemen) have come from the Hindi-speaking No. 1 without a hitch. We track all waste states – who have been drawn by collection vehicles and if any one Surat’s ranking on the opportunities that the city offers. In the past 12 months, for instance, of them misses an area, we know Information System) enabled “Citizens are no longer Surat is where 80 per cent of the the count of citizen we have completed 15  yovers and immediately. It has greatly improved mapping of the city to enable a prepared to wait in world’s diamonds are processed. Our satisfaction in national bridges. We have also built over the ef ciency of our waste collection zero-default recovery of property 50,000 houses to relocate families queues for government vibrant city also meets 40 per cent of poll conducted by service and has had a positive tax. With this system in place, we will India’s demand for textiles. It is also an living in poor neighbourhoods, impact on how the city manages have accurate data on each building services. They expect NGO Janagraha which is why just 6-7 per cent of economic hub with industries across its solid waste output. Similarly, in the city, which will help us verify them within an sectors – power, fertilisers, re neries, Surat’s population lives in slums. IT has enabled us to put up real- the information shared with us by steel, paper, sugar, chemicals and More importantly, Surat has always time displays of bus arrival timings our taxpayers. acceptable time-frame.” pharmaceuticals. Yet, despite this welcomed outsiders. This is a city at each bus stop. People  nd this M.K. Das Our per capita income has been where people live and work together Surat is the  rst city to partner growth, we have been able to address service very useful. Joint Managing Director, Gujarat high despite the population growth in harmony. An indicator of Surat’s with Microsoft’s CityNext the people’s aspirations. State Petroleum Corporation and composite culture is the number of We have computerised all critical initiative. What made you opt and we have maintained without fail Former Commissioner, How can you say that? operations such as accounts, a 24-hour power supply. The speed languages – eight, including Oriya for this association? How do you Surat Municipal Corporation at which we deliver public works and Telugu – in which classes are audit, material management, and intend to bene t from it? Janagraha, a well-regarded NGO, has kept pace with the city’s growth. taught in our 300-plus schools. so on. All revenue collection is

18 19 News Review also computerised. Payments to The idea behind our association with In Conversation “We have aligned stakeholders are made directly to Microsoft’s CityNext initiative is to give 8 their accounts, leaving no room citizens a different layer of comfort. with Microsoft’s for corruption. All recruitments We have identi ed areas such as Number of languages are made in a transparent manner town planning, project management CityNext initiative in which classes are with OCR-based examination and engagement with citizens where taught in Surat’s and processing, which has not CityNext will bene t the people of to give citizens only introduced transparency in Surat. More importantly, CityNext 300-plus schools governance, but also enhanced the does not require us to create new a new layer of faith of job-seekers in our system. systems to enhance our engagement They now believe that a meritocracy with citizens. comfort.” is in place. An IT-enabled city needs a tech-savvy population. With this It will eventually help us integrate all thought at the back of our mind, we our services and empower citizens without altering the platform. Earlier, URAT, India’s diamond capital, is the  rst city in the country where Microsoft What have you done to use IT have introduced computer software training in all schools. people had to take a break from will roll out its CityNext initiative in partnership with the municipal corporation. solutions to ensure a better quality work and queue up at our various S of life for Surat’s residents? Joint Managing Director of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation and Former How are you raising of ces just to collect forms. This  nances for these many was a waste of people’s productive Municipal Commissioner M.K. Das, a Gujarat-cadre, 1990-batch IAS of cer, explains Take our experience with water supply. Few cities can claim to development initiatives? time and of valuable fuel spent on how this initiative will impact the lives of the citizens of Surat and enable the civic have an ISO-certi ed water supply transport. Now, with CityNext, we To sustain such a pace of can deliver all our services under body to deliver improved services to the people. An IIT-Kharagpur Computer system. We can. We have used IT development, the civic body needs to put in place a system wherein one virtual roof, which can be Science and Engineering graduate, Das has been a deputy commissioner with the to shore up its earnings. We are accessed online from any part of the all our water treatment plants are doing it by increasing our property Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and during his  ve-year tenure as Vadodara’s run using Supervisory Control world. This takes engagement with tax collections. We are in the process citizens to an entirely new level. Municipal Commissioner, the city government bagged eight national awards. And Data Acquisition (SCADA), of introducing a GIS (Geographical without any human intervention. Surat has experienced ranked Surat No. 1 on two counts – This ensures optimum utilisation phenomenal growth in the citizen satisfaction and perception of water and minimal wastage. past three decades. Has this of the local government – in an 15 The quality of water supply is also No. 4 progress brought about its all-India survey of cities. People monitored throughout the day. We share of challenges? complain of unemployment, but Number of  yovers are con dent that we will have no Position of Surat we have negative unemployment. and bridges water problem even if 50 lakh more among the world’s Surat is the fourth fastest-growing People are working double shifts completed by Surat people are added to Surat. fastest growing city in the world. Its population has and we have 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh jobs risen from 7 lakh in 1981 to 50 lakh that are waiting to be taken. Municipal Corporation We have also put in place a cities, after Beihei at present, and just 7-10 lakh of the in past 12 months vehicle tracking system to ensure (China), Ghaziabad city’s residents have their roots in that our door-to-door waste Surat. The rest are migrants – 25 lakh collection programme takes place and Sana’a (Yemen) have come from the Hindi-speaking No. 1 without a hitch. We track all waste states – who have been drawn by collection vehicles and if any one Surat’s ranking on the opportunities that the city offers. In the past 12 months, for instance, of them misses an area, we know Information System) enabled “Citizens are no longer Surat is where 80 per cent of the the count of citizen we have completed 15  yovers and immediately. It has greatly improved mapping of the city to enable a prepared to wait in world’s diamonds are processed. Our satisfaction in national bridges. We have also built over the ef ciency of our waste collection zero-default recovery of property 50,000 houses to relocate families queues for government vibrant city also meets 40 per cent of poll conducted by service and has had a positive tax. With this system in place, we will India’s demand for textiles. It is also an living in poor neighbourhoods, impact on how the city manages have accurate data on each building services. They expect NGO Janagraha which is why just 6-7 per cent of economic hub with industries across its solid waste output. Similarly, in the city, which will help us verify them within an sectors – power, fertilisers, re neries, Surat’s population lives in slums. IT has enabled us to put up real- the information shared with us by steel, paper, sugar, chemicals and More importantly, Surat has always time displays of bus arrival timings our taxpayers. acceptable time-frame.” pharmaceuticals. Yet, despite this welcomed outsiders. This is a city at each bus stop. People  nd this M.K. Das Our per capita income has been where people live and work together Surat is the  rst city to partner growth, we have been able to address service very useful. Joint Managing Director, Gujarat high despite the population growth in harmony. An indicator of Surat’s with Microsoft’s CityNext the people’s aspirations. State Petroleum Corporation and composite culture is the number of We have computerised all critical initiative. What made you opt and we have maintained without fail Former Commissioner, How can you say that? operations such as accounts, a 24-hour power supply. The speed languages – eight, including Oriya for this association? How do you Surat Municipal Corporation at which we deliver public works and Telugu – in which classes are audit, material management, and intend to bene t from it? Janagraha, a well-regarded NGO, has kept pace with the city’s growth. taught in our 300-plus schools. so on. All revenue collection is

18 19 News Review “Given the pace of In Conversation “IT-based urbanisation and its innovation contribution to national growth, IT-based solutions is critical to will play an important sustainable role.” Prof. V. Srinivas Chary urbanisation.” Dean of Research and Director, Centre of Energy, Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development, ASCI

ne of the country’s foremost thinkers on urban management issues, OProf. V. Srinivas Chary is the Dean of Research and Director of the Centre of Energy, Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development, Administrative Staff College of India. A recipient of the Ashoka Fellowship for his institutional model on the provision of 24x7 water supply, Prof. Chary has led more than 150 research and consulting assignments in the areas of policy formulation, municipal reforms and city development planning. He has also pioneered the National Urban Water Awards, which recognise excellence in urban water and sanitation management by municipalities. Additionally, he also provides capacity building support to urban local bodies across the country. In this interview, he offers his expert take on sustainable urban development and the importance of IT-led solutions such as Microsoft’s CityNext.

Urban growth is becoming Resource security, be it for water or the most visible feature of energy, is important to sustain the India’s growth rate the country’s development urbanisation process. It is important has led to a rapid story. How can policymakers therefore to embed environmental increase in urban ensure this growth is and resource ef ciency concerns infrastructure and environmentally sustainable? into urban development policy and plans to make this growth buildings. The cities are Effective urbanisation is intricately sustainable. We must start the consuming over 70 per linked with economic development process of environmental advocacy cent of energy and are and social growth. Cities are often at the policy-making and planning responsible for 75 per called as engines of economic stage itself so that green parameters growth, more so for emerging cent of greenhouse are re ected in the Master Plans gas emissions economies such as India. Urban and City Development Plans. Use Cities that have areas, however, are large consumers of innovative ideas, practices and shown the way of energy and are responsible for technologies can play a signi cant energy consumption of buildings, Urban India is faced with the urgent a signi cant portion of emissions. role to ensure that urban growth making them green and intelligent. need for sustainable growth. In such a Rapid urbanisation has led to is environmentally sustainable. ICT can play a positive role in scenario, IT-based innovation assumes increased congestion on roads, Today, ICT not only enables better ef cient traf c management, signi cance. The highlighted cities have increased demand for power, water, and more ef cient service delivery leading to reduction of fuel and shown how it is possible. sanitation services, education and resource ef ciency, but also emission, ef cient water and waste and health infrastructure, and facilitates better city management. water management, solid waste increased demand for investment. Innovative use of ICT will reduce handling and delivery of other

20 21 News Review “Given the pace of In Conversation “IT-based urbanisation and its innovation contribution to national growth, IT-based solutions is critical to will play an important sustainable role.” Prof. V. Srinivas Chary urbanisation.” Dean of Research and Director, Centre of Energy, Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development, ASCI

20 21 urban services. Given the pressures the reduction of wastage, the buildings, which will be up by 2030, a smart system would automatically pollution levels, but also make it of rapid urbanisation in India, it is municipalities have also been able to are yet to be built. This situation Microsoft’s CityNext switch off pumps as soon as the possible for vehicle users to save the need of the hour that cities in charge less for water supply. offers a window of opportunity to can become the tanks are full. Similarly, a city’s their time and use it productively. India utilise ICT to strengthen their introduce far-reaching changes that street lighting system can be made Similar instances of successful waste platform that How has your department capacity to manage this growth would work in favour of sustainable integrates various responsive to ambient light, so if sustainably. They need to become water management can be cited urbanisation. the days are long, the lights would engaged with municipal bodies smart and connected cities. from Bangalore and Navi Mumbai, services and solutions switch on later than usual. This and other public service providers Chennai and Visakhapatnam. These What is the role of ICT provided by different doable measure can signi cantly to introduce IT-enabled tools into Are there examples of municipal urban centres have effectively in the development of agencies. It can also economise power consumption in city planning and service delivery bodies in the country already recycled waste water and made it  t sustainable cities? processes? assist in informed urban centres. CityNext, coupled thinking along these lines? for non-potable uses. Vadodara has with sensor technology, can help shown the way to energy ef ciency In the replication of these decision making What we now need to do is to We have a number of examples sustainable models, Information and urban local bodies in garbage develop pilots to test IT-enabled by introducing smart street lighting. collection and disposal, safety and to show how municipalities across Surat, by using smart technology to Communication Technology (ICT) tools such as CityNext. Currently, the country, in places such as will have a key role. Successful cities security, healthcare management, we are engaged in talks with the control the pumping of water, has and so on. Nagpur and Pimpri-Chinchwad in been successful in reducing energy of the future will run on information. are connected and information is Warangal Municipal Corporation to Maharashtra and Hubli-Dharwad consumption. All these are replicable ICT enables not only better and shared real time. In addition, it can In the same way, we can smarten develop pilot apps for seven to ten in Karnataka, have effectively models that other municipal bodies more ef cient service delivery, and also become an effective tool for traf c management to save areas where IT can be used for better employed technology and can easily implement. resource ef ciency, but also better informed decision making. people’s time, prevent wastage of management of service delivery. Our innovative practices and raised city management. petrol and reduce pollution caused objective is to develop a city control public awareness to minimise You have stressed on the need to How can Microsoft’s CityNext centre that will manage all services Innovative use of ICT will reduce become an effective tool for by engines of vehicles idling at wastage of water. These measures embed environmental concerns traf c lights. This can easily be by cutting across departmental silos. are not only environmentally into urban development plans. energy consumption of buildings, sustainable urbanisation? A similar effort is underway to ensure making them green and intelligent. done by replacing our present sustainable, but because of Can you share an example where I can think of many ways in which static management of traf c lights a seamless integration of services this is already being done? ICT can play a positive role in ef cient for better management of traf c traf c management leading to CityNext can help the municipal with a dynamic system, which Nagpur and Pimpri- lights in Hyderabad. An integration The Government of Andhra Pradesh, reduction of fuel emission, ef cient administrations achieve the goal uses a combination of algorithms Chinchwad in of IT solutions into city management before the state’s bifurcation, water and waste water management, of sustainable urbanisation. It can and cameras to ensure that each Maharashtra and initiatives has become essential in introduced the Energy Conservation solid waste handling and delivery of enable a municipal corporation vehicle passes through  ve or six Hubli-Dharwad view of the paradigm shift towards Building Code (ECBC) for all new other urban services. By providing prevent wastage of water by helping green lights on one journey. An in Karnataka have sustainable urbanisation. commercial buildings constructed real-time traf c information to it move from a manual to an IT-enabled traf c management effectively employed in the state post-August 2013. It citizens, cities can enable them to IT-enabled control system. Such system will not only help decrease technology and aims at a substantial reduction in plan their commute to work or use innovative practices energy usage through improved public transportation. By providing to minimise wastage remote healthcare services and of water extending access, cities can reduce Buildings consume over health-related expenses and improve Vadodara has 30 per cent of India’s health outcomes. ICT can also enable shown the way to cities to be safe and secure. energy ef ciency by electricity production. introducing smart The good news, though, Given the pressures of rapid street lighting is that two-thirds of all urbanisation in India, it is the need the commercial and of the hour that cities in India utilize Surat, by using smart residential high-rises, ICT to strengthen cities’ capacity technology to control to manage this growth sustainably. the pumping of water, which will be up by This has been termed as Smart and has reduced energy 2030, are yet to be built Connected City. consumption In this regard, Microsoft’s CityNext is signi cant, but its solutions will have The Government of building designs, use of energy- to be customised to Indian situations. Andhra Pradesh has ef cient appliances, and better It can become the platform that introduced an Energy air-conditioning and lighting. This integrates various services and Conservation Building is a signi cant move and the rest solutions provided by different Code for all new of the country should take note agencies in an urban setting. Cost constructions after of it because two-thirds of the and bene t optimisation takes August 2013 commercial and high rise residential place when information sources

22 23 urban services. Given the pressures the reduction of wastage, the buildings, which will be up by 2030, a smart system would automatically pollution levels, but also make it of rapid urbanisation in India, it is municipalities have also been able to are yet to be built. This situation Microsoft’s CityNext switch off pumps as soon as the possible for vehicle users to save the need of the hour that cities in charge less for water supply. offers a window of opportunity to can become the tanks are full. Similarly, a city’s their time and use it productively. India utilise ICT to strengthen their introduce far-reaching changes that street lighting system can be made Similar instances of successful waste platform that How has your department capacity to manage this growth would work in favour of sustainable integrates various responsive to ambient light, so if sustainably. They need to become water management can be cited urbanisation. the days are long, the lights would engaged with municipal bodies smart and connected cities. from Bangalore and Navi Mumbai, services and solutions switch on later than usual. This and other public service providers Chennai and Visakhapatnam. These What is the role of ICT provided by different doable measure can signi cantly to introduce IT-enabled tools into Are there examples of municipal urban centres have effectively in the development of agencies. It can also economise power consumption in city planning and service delivery bodies in the country already recycled waste water and made it  t sustainable cities? processes? assist in informed urban centres. CityNext, coupled thinking along these lines? for non-potable uses. Vadodara has with sensor technology, can help shown the way to energy ef ciency In the replication of these decision making What we now need to do is to We have a number of examples sustainable models, Information and urban local bodies in garbage develop pilots to test IT-enabled by introducing smart street lighting. collection and disposal, safety and to show how municipalities across Surat, by using smart technology to Communication Technology (ICT) tools such as CityNext. Currently, the country, in places such as will have a key role. Successful cities security, healthcare management, we are engaged in talks with the control the pumping of water, has and so on. Nagpur and Pimpri-Chinchwad in been successful in reducing energy of the future will run on information. are connected and information is Warangal Municipal Corporation to Maharashtra and Hubli-Dharwad consumption. All these are replicable ICT enables not only better and shared real time. In addition, it can In the same way, we can smarten develop pilot apps for seven to ten in Karnataka, have effectively models that other municipal bodies more ef cient service delivery, and also become an effective tool for traf c management to save areas where IT can be used for better employed technology and can easily implement. resource ef ciency, but also better informed decision making. people’s time, prevent wastage of management of service delivery. Our innovative practices and raised city management. petrol and reduce pollution caused objective is to develop a city control public awareness to minimise You have stressed on the need to How can Microsoft’s CityNext centre that will manage all services Innovative use of ICT will reduce become an effective tool for by engines of vehicles idling at wastage of water. These measures embed environmental concerns traf c lights. This can easily be by cutting across departmental silos. are not only environmentally into urban development plans. energy consumption of buildings, sustainable urbanisation? A similar effort is underway to ensure making them green and intelligent. done by replacing our present sustainable, but because of Can you share an example where I can think of many ways in which static management of traf c lights a seamless integration of services this is already being done? ICT can play a positive role in ef cient for better management of traf c traf c management leading to CityNext can help the municipal with a dynamic system, which Nagpur and Pimpri- lights in Hyderabad. An integration The Government of Andhra Pradesh, reduction of fuel emission, ef cient administrations achieve the goal uses a combination of algorithms Chinchwad in of IT solutions into city management before the state’s bifurcation, water and waste water management, of sustainable urbanisation. It can and cameras to ensure that each Maharashtra and initiatives has become essential in introduced the Energy Conservation solid waste handling and delivery of enable a municipal corporation vehicle passes through  ve or six Hubli-Dharwad view of the paradigm shift towards Building Code (ECBC) for all new other urban services. By providing prevent wastage of water by helping green lights on one journey. An in Karnataka have sustainable urbanisation. commercial buildings constructed real-time traf c information to it move from a manual to an IT-enabled traf c management effectively employed in the state post-August 2013. It citizens, cities can enable them to IT-enabled control system. Such system will not only help decrease technology and aims at a substantial reduction in plan their commute to work or use innovative practices energy usage through improved public transportation. By providing to minimise wastage remote healthcare services and of water extending access, cities can reduce Buildings consume over health-related expenses and improve Vadodara has 30 per cent of India’s health outcomes. ICT can also enable shown the way to cities to be safe and secure. energy ef ciency by electricity production. introducing smart The good news, though, Given the pressures of rapid street lighting is that two-thirds of all urbanisation in India, it is the need the commercial and of the hour that cities in India utilize Surat, by using smart residential high-rises, ICT to strengthen cities’ capacity technology to control to manage this growth sustainably. the pumping of water, which will be up by This has been termed as Smart and has reduced energy 2030, are yet to be built Connected City. consumption In this regard, Microsoft’s CityNext is signi cant, but its solutions will have The Government of building designs, use of energy- to be customised to Indian situations. Andhra Pradesh has ef cient appliances, and better It can become the platform that introduced an Energy air-conditioning and lighting. This integrates various services and Conservation Building is a signi cant move and the rest solutions provided by different Code for all new of the country should take note agencies in an urban setting. Cost constructions after of it because two-thirds of the and bene t optimisation takes August 2013 commercial and high rise residential place when information sources

22 23 Transform, Engage, Accelerate – icrosoft’s CityNext is a global initiative that Inside View Menables leaders in the government to effectively Making cities safer, healthier and leverage technology to shape the future of cities, in collaboration with citizens and businesses, with a more sustainable people- rst approach.

By Vikas Aggarwal to leverage both “technology capacity” and “human capacity” More than 50 per cent of the $650 by taking a people- rst approach world’s population is living in – empowering citizens, businesses urban areas today. This massive and governments to connect, have shift towards cities and towns has billion an open dialogue and shape the unleashed a new set of challenges future together by building more in the shadow of limited economic Investment required over the next 20 economically, environmentally and growth, tighter budgets and socially sustainable urban areas. austerity measures. These challenges years to rejuvenate Adoption of a people- rst approach range from a critical need to urban infrastructure would translate into harnessing augment and modernise the over- across India the capabilities of technology strained and aging infrastructure to help students achieve more to scaling down the demand for through a 1:1 learning experience, The High Powered Expert natural resources and sustaining give isolated populations access to Committee on Urban Infrastructure requirements of the citizens. much-needed government services, has noted that the country needs provide the elderly with high-quality India too is on the cusp of an an investment of US$650 billion (Rs healthcare in their homes, support urban explosion. The unabated 39.5 lakh crore) over the next 20 entrepreneurs to see their ideas pace of urbanisation, propelled by years to gear up for this emerging come to fruition more quickly, get the continuous in ux of people urban shift. from the rural hinterland, has put commuters home sooner, and give unprecedented pressure on urban The committee, headed by the city administrators and service infrastructure and service delivery acclaimed economist, Dr. Isher providers a real-time, one-city view mechanisms of various agencies. Judge Ahluwalia, has highlighted the so that they can do their jobs better. vital role that IT (e-governance and There are similarities in challenges Microsoft and its global partner smart technologies) can play to help on account of rapidly growing ecosystem are uniquely positioned address the challenges confronting urbanisation between India and to enable a people- rst approach urban planners, administrators and developed economies, but the critical through end-to-end software, service providers. difference is the magnitude of the devices & service capabilities gap. India’s urban infrastructure is Many projects focus primarily that meet a range of needs, from more strained and in most cases, it is on making infrastructure “smart” the consumer-related demands in a dire need of both augmentation by embedding sensors and of citizens to the mission- and modernisation than in developed upgrading networking capabilities. critical, enterprise demands of economies. To add to the complexity, Without doubt this is a critical city operations. Drawing from despite the lower percentage, the real foundational step, but by limiting experience and insights gained count of the people living in urban the conversation to infrastructure, from many years of working with areas and those expected to migrate we may be missing an enormous governments worldwide, Microsoft’s to urban areas is humungous and opportunity to unlock human CityNext offers solutions across key unparalleled. potential within a city. Technology city domains and the strategy for This huge gap necessitates judicious can help in  nding innovative implementing these solutions is and optimal utilisation of resources and effective resolution, but it is anchored around three key pillars: and calls upon us to transform our well-known that the engagement transforming operations and infrastructure and operations, engage and involvement of citizens and infrastructure; engaging citizens citizens and businesses, and accelerate businesses is a critical aspect. and businesses; and accelerating innovation and opportunity. Thus, the solutions needed innovation and opportunity.

24 25 Transform, Engage, Accelerate – icrosoft’s CityNext is a global initiative that Inside View Menables leaders in the government to effectively Making cities safer, healthier and leverage technology to shape the future of cities, in collaboration with citizens and businesses, with a more sustainable people- rst approach.

24 25 Some examples of what Microsoft CityNext can enable:

Transform operations and Engage citizens and businesses Accelerate innovation and Cross-city insights for better More effective planning and Better use of resources infrastructure by improving city by delivering personalised opportunity through programmes decisions in the short and response to keep citizens safe through analytics and real-time functions with innovative partner services and applications with and partnerships that empower long term. and secure. information. solutions, leveraging the power a people-centric approach, youth with 21st-century learning of cloud computing to reduce enabling real-time dialogue and personal development costs and increase ef ciencies, via social media, and spurring opportunities, expand digital empowering employees with development of city apps, and inclusion with access and skills enterprise-grade devices and apps, economic growth with the open training, and nurture new businesses More ef cient infrastructure Saving time, money and and enabling innovation on your data initiatives. and innovators with resources and that attracts businesses, jobs energy for the priorities that terms with a modern solutions and support to help cities compete in and visitors. matter most. big data platform. the global marketplace. Microsoft has identi ed more than 40 solution areas across eight key city domains

Energy and Water: As Buildings, Infrastructure, Transportation: Cities with a populations and commercial Planning: Buildings consume major rise in their human and activities expand, resource- more than 40 percent of all vehicle populations experience related issues also increase. Both energy and generate 33 percent strains on their roads and public human and economic health of carbon emissions worldwide. transportation networks as well can suffer from a lack of safe, Reducing energy consumption as long commutes, pollution, adequate energy and water and and costs is a top economic and and wasted human energy. from polluted urban areas. environmental priority.

Public Safety and Justice: Tourism, Recreation and Education: Increasing access to Increasingly, dense urban Culture: Entertainment, culture, higher-quality and diverse forms environments present various and recreation not only help of education is expected. Yet hazards to public safety, from attract and retain a vibrant most cities struggle to provide petty crime to homicides to city population, they also draw affordable education that fosters mass-scale terrorism. Plus, tourists who can drive economic a highly skilled, creative, and threats from natural disasters are activity and enhance a city’s employable population. real and unpredictable. reputation.

Health and Social Services: Government Administration: Access to timely, affordable, Citizens and businesses want high-quality health services virtually all city services to be is a key public concern. Non- accessible electronically. They communicable diseases present are all for their city government challenging new needs, even as increasing transparency and the likelihood of an outbreak of accessibility while protecting communicable diseases rises. privacy and security.

26 27 Some examples of what Microsoft CityNext can enable:

26 27 with less—to connect governments, buildings, infrastructure, and businesses, and citizens with city planning; transportation; public 87 services through innovation that safety and justice; tourism, increases ef ciencies, reduces costs, recreation, and culture; education; The number of and fosters a more sustainable life health and social services; and metropolitan cities for all. Microsoft and its partners government administration. To bring in India with a are helping cities work within their this alive, we have at our command means by building on existing four game-changing emerging population of a million investments and incorporating technology trends: or more in 2031, going new innovations at their own pace, Cloud: Through a up from 50 in 2011 ultimately creating an innovation model that works for today and  exible cloud offering, sustains itself tomorrow. cities can choose public, private, or hybrid clouds It is no longer enough to do more CityNext enables cities to operate that protect data sources with the with less. The current and emerging more ef ciently and serve citizens privacy, security and control needed scenarios demand a combination as “One City” across eight critical for a city to have effective cross- of the power of innovation with functions: energy and water; departmental collaboration and breakthrough ideas to do NEW

resource sharing. The scalability and Big Data: Through data “I truly believe that when people in cost-effectiveness of cloud services and analytics, city leaders a city come together to collaborate enable  nancial discipline without can gain vital real-time and innovate”, says Laura Ipsen, cutting essential services. insights from multiple Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, streams, such as traf c cameras, Worldwide Public Sector, “adding Mobility: Through social media, and other public the right technology solutions can mobile devices such as channels, to make more accurate liberate resources and solve some sensors, smartphones decisions, achieve greater ef ciencies of the toughest challenges their and tablets, cities can and respond faster to emergencies. cities face.” reach citizens anywhere, on any screen, through the device of their By adopting a people- rst approach Let’s imagine, and work together on choice. Citizen-centric apps enable and pursuing strategic partnerships, what’s next for our cities. people to engage and interact with cities can enable self-sustaining their city governments directly for cycles of innovation, opportunity, services that make life safer and and progress for years to come. We, more convenient. Enterprise-grade at Microsoft, are ready and want mobile devices also give employees to partner with you. Microsoft is remote access to systems from any uniquely equipped to enable this location, improving productivity people- rst approach because no and responsiveness. other company offers as broad a portfolio of software, devices, and Social Media: Using services, or a bigger network of Twitter, Facebook, Skype global partners, and a history of and Yammer, cities can successful education and social open two-way dialogues programmes, all of which, when with citizens and businesses to better combined, help cities address what’s understand their needs. Cities also next. The result is a city that can Vikas Aggarwal can better protect citizens and take compete on the world stage as a top Director, Industry Solutions care of their safety concerns using place to live, work, and play. mobile alerts and social channels. Microsoft India

28 29 with less—to connect governments, buildings, infrastructure, and businesses, and citizens with city planning; transportation; public 87 services through innovation that safety and justice; tourism, increases ef ciencies, reduces costs, recreation, and culture; education; The number of and fosters a more sustainable life health and social services; and metropolitan cities for all. Microsoft and its partners government administration. To bring in India with a are helping cities work within their this alive, we have at our command means by building on existing four game-changing emerging population of a million investments and incorporating technology trends: or more in 2031, going new innovations at their own pace, Cloud: Through a up from 50 in 2011 ultimately creating an innovation model that works for today and  exible cloud offering, sustains itself tomorrow. cities can choose public, private, or hybrid clouds It is no longer enough to do more CityNext enables cities to operate that protect data sources with the with less. The current and emerging more ef ciently and serve citizens privacy, security and control needed scenarios demand a combination as “One City” across eight critical for a city to have effective cross- of the power of innovation with functions: energy and water; departmental collaboration and breakthrough ideas to do NEW

28 29 Engineering  rm Global View Sustainable automates Tianjin toll Solutions collection, achieves zero to Urban downtime China’s rapidly growing network of Challenges expressways plays an important role in supporting regional economic development, but manual toll collection combined with an increasing volume of traf c had created bottlenecks and hindered ef ciency. The challenge was no different in Tianjin, which, back in eople-centric smart technology solutions can help cities to do ‘more 2008, had 714km of expressways Pwith less’ and ‘new with less’. Four global case studies, from cities as that faced increasing congestion. far apart as Buenos Aires and Tianjin, show how these solutions work. That was when Tianjin became one of China’s  rst cities to be selected for the national pilot project to Formidable challenges confront install Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) our city leaders today and can systems, with Tianjin Expressway negate some of the very elements Group Company, a Chinese that make urban centres attractive engineering company, in charge of in the  rst place. These challenges both implementing and operating are not new, but their scale and the solution. intensity are unprecedented. Addressing these issues in the face The entire project had to be designed a solution that of  nancial constraints, expectations completed in just three months. Smart buildings to of rapid returns on investments and To add to the pressure, it also includes three separate sites and help Seattle reduce connects applications from road administrative complexity can be had to comply with a number of downtown energy usage even more dif cult. specifications and meet the needs companies, service providers and of multiple stakeholders, not the a bank. Huajian Warmstar used by 25 per cent Through a people- rst approach least of which were the drivers the Windows Communication and strategic partnerships, cities Seattle, the largest American city on themselves. The company also Foundation, part of the Microsoft can enable sustainable cycles the Paci c Northwest coast of the faced many technical hurdles. .NET Framework, and optimised of innovation, opportunity and United States, has been growing Paris, IssyGrid is France’s  rst and management environment. This the SQL Server 2008 R2 to build rapidly since the 1970s, attracting progress for years to come, and From its analysis of similar ETC can compete on the world stage as smart-grid neighbourhood. It is data, once provided to citizens, helps a large-scale solution that could people who want an exceptional implementations, Tianjin Expressway premier destinations for people to run by a consortium of corporate them see how they use electricity. reliably perform transactions quality of life, plenty of natural knew it needed a solution capable realise their full potential. The good partners and local utilities that And this knowledge enables them to across multiple applications. beauty, and of course world-class of handling a high volume of data news is that all this is not wishful consider energy conservation take speci c actions to conserve — coffee. Accommodating a growing After scanning tags on cars moving thinking. Cities around the world an opportunity for businesses to by turning off the television when it’s resulting from daily traf c that population (4 million and counting through the toll lane, the ETC system have shown it is possible to do ‘more address. About 200 test homes and not needed, for instance, or lowering would be in the tens of thousands in the metropolitan area), however, with less’ and ‘new with less’. Here’s four commercial buildings in the the temperature by two degrees. but could jump to several hundred sends data to the clearing and means providing more electrical how they are doing it. community have been out tted with thousand vehicles during holidays. settlement infrastructure, which power, among the other necessities energy consumption monitoring Such simple actions helped home The company needed a scalable, includes three clustered server of life. and building owners lower their Residents trim energy devices, with the goal of ultimately high-performance solution that computers running SQL Server 2008 energy consumption, and therefore But Seattle decided a long expanding the programme to the could complete transactions within R2. The system calculates mileage use by 20 per cent bills, by 10 to 20 per cent. Individuals time back that it didn’t want entire town of 5,000 residents and seconds as vehicles move through and sends the toll to a clearing when given real-time can take action to reduce their to invest in building additional 10,000 business employees. the toll lanes. system in Beijing, Tianjin, or Hebei consumption data energy use when empowered with expensive and environmentally IssyGrid collects energy consumption information. Conserving energy province. It processes an average of With help from Huajian Warmstar, risky power generation plants; it A demonstration project aimed data and processes it in real time by globally therefore has to begin 300,000 toll collection transactions a Microsoft partner based in wanted to make better use of the at reducing energy use in the using Windows Azure, the Microsoft locally — in the neighbourhood. daily and collects up to two Beijing, Tianjin Expressway power it had while driving new town of Issy-les-Moulineaux near Cloud services development, hosting terabytes of data annually.

30 31 Engineering  rm Global View Sustainable automates Tianjin toll Solutions collection, achieves zero to Urban downtime China’s rapidly growing network of Challenges expressways plays an important role in supporting regional economic development, but manual toll collection combined with an increasing volume of traf c had created bottlenecks and hindered ef ciency. The challenge was no different in Tianjin, which, back in eople-centric smart technology solutions can help cities to do ‘more 2008, had 714km of expressways Pwith less’ and ‘new with less’. Four global case studies, from cities as that faced increasing congestion. far apart as Buenos Aires and Tianjin, show how these solutions work. That was when Tianjin became one of China’s  rst cities to be selected for the national pilot project to Formidable challenges confront install Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) our city leaders today and can systems, with Tianjin Expressway negate some of the very elements Group Company, a Chinese that make urban centres attractive engineering company, in charge of in the  rst place. These challenges both implementing and operating are not new, but their scale and the solution. intensity are unprecedented. Addressing these issues in the face The entire project had to be designed a solution that of  nancial constraints, expectations completed in just three months. Smart buildings to of rapid returns on investments and To add to the pressure, it also includes three separate sites and help Seattle reduce connects applications from road administrative complexity can be had to comply with a number of downtown energy usage even more dif cult. specifications and meet the needs companies, service providers and of multiple stakeholders, not the a bank. Huajian Warmstar used by 25 per cent Through a people- rst approach least of which were the drivers the Windows Communication and strategic partnerships, cities Seattle, the largest American city on themselves. The company also Foundation, part of the Microsoft can enable sustainable cycles the Paci c Northwest coast of the faced many technical hurdles. .NET Framework, and optimised of innovation, opportunity and United States, has been growing Paris, IssyGrid is France’s  rst and management environment. This the SQL Server 2008 R2 to build rapidly since the 1970s, attracting progress for years to come, and From its analysis of similar ETC can compete on the world stage as smart-grid neighbourhood. It is data, once provided to citizens, helps a large-scale solution that could people who want an exceptional implementations, Tianjin Expressway premier destinations for people to run by a consortium of corporate them see how they use electricity. reliably perform transactions quality of life, plenty of natural knew it needed a solution capable realise their full potential. The good partners and local utilities that And this knowledge enables them to across multiple applications. beauty, and of course world-class of handling a high volume of data news is that all this is not wishful consider energy conservation take speci c actions to conserve — coffee. Accommodating a growing After scanning tags on cars moving thinking. Cities around the world an opportunity for businesses to by turning off the television when it’s resulting from daily traf c that population (4 million and counting through the toll lane, the ETC system have shown it is possible to do ‘more address. About 200 test homes and not needed, for instance, or lowering would be in the tens of thousands in the metropolitan area), however, with less’ and ‘new with less’. Here’s four commercial buildings in the the temperature by two degrees. but could jump to several hundred sends data to the clearing and means providing more electrical how they are doing it. community have been out tted with thousand vehicles during holidays. settlement infrastructure, which power, among the other necessities energy consumption monitoring Such simple actions helped home The company needed a scalable, includes three clustered server of life. and building owners lower their Residents trim energy devices, with the goal of ultimately high-performance solution that computers running SQL Server 2008 energy consumption, and therefore But Seattle decided a long expanding the programme to the could complete transactions within R2. The system calculates mileage use by 20 per cent bills, by 10 to 20 per cent. Individuals time back that it didn’t want entire town of 5,000 residents and seconds as vehicles move through and sends the toll to a clearing when given real-time can take action to reduce their to invest in building additional 10,000 business employees. the toll lanes. system in Beijing, Tianjin, or Hebei consumption data energy use when empowered with expensive and environmentally IssyGrid collects energy consumption information. Conserving energy province. It processes an average of With help from Huajian Warmstar, risky power generation plants; it A demonstration project aimed data and processes it in real time by globally therefore has to begin 300,000 toll collection transactions a Microsoft partner based in wanted to make better use of the at reducing energy use in the using Windows Azure, the Microsoft locally — in the neighbourhood. daily and collects up to two Beijing, Tianjin Expressway power it had while driving new town of Issy-les-Moulineaux near Cloud services development, hosting terabytes of data annually.

30 31 CAI. In 2009, the city deployed a customised solution based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the help of Accendo, a member of the Microsoft Partner Network — and did it in two months. Since then, CAI team members have used the solution to streamline exploration, development, monitoring and analysis of projects representing investments of 34.7 million Argentinean pesos (US$8 billion).

Specter describes the ef ciencies of the new solution: “Without this Buenos Aires initiative solution, registering a new project The savings are reduces time projects would take 20 minutes; it takes considerable when needed to meet four minutes now. Completing the administrative tasks associated with seen in the context of requirements by the millions of dollars meeting government and legal 65 per cent requirements for a new project took it costs annually 90 days in the past; it now takes 30 to operate large In 2008, to help sustain and expand days. Researching and preparing a commercial buildings the economy of Buenos Aires, home report for public and private entities to nearly one third of Argentina’s involved with a given project might population, city leaders mandated take three days without the solution the creation of the Centro de — and with it, one. Performing an technologies for energy efficiency. Atención al Inversor (CAI), or the analysis on the cost/bene t impact The city partnered with Microsoft, Investor Service Centre, under the of a completed project could take jurisdiction of the city’s Ministry Accenture, Seattle City Light, and up to a full day before, and now we of Economic Development. And Seattle 2030 District to launch have that data immediately.” to help ensure that the CAI could the High-Performance Buildings accomplish its objectives, its leaders With these ef ciencies, CAI Project, a programme aimed at set out to  nd and implement a employees are free to focus more reducing power consumption in business management solution. of their energies on building commercial buildings. relationships with business “We needed a single, centralised investors — whose projects bring The Smart Building solution being system for managing data and thousands of jobs to the citizens implemented by Accenture uses work ows in an accessible and easily of Buenos Aires and generate tax Microsoft software and cloud customisable fashion,” explains revenues that help fund education services to gain deeper insight Damian Specter, Director General, and other vital services. from data generated by building Creating a real impact management systems, sensors, controls and meters. Armed with this insight, Accenture is deploying for a better tomorrow its Smart Building solution in  ve Trained under Microsoft’s Project Shiksha, primary school teacher Firoz has buildings, with plans to soon expand transformed learning by integrating the use of computers in his daily lessons. the programme. The solution is Project Shiksha is a YouthSpark initiative that delivers comprehensive IT training expected to generate savings of to educators to accelerate the pace of IT literacy and enhance the classroom 10-25 per cent for both energy environment amongst government schools in the country. and maintenance expenditures, Our YouthSpark programmes are aimed at empowering youth to imagine new which is signi cant considering the possibilities and realise their full potential. We work with governments, academia, hundreds of thousands of dollars nonprofits and businesses to provide youth with the education, skills and opportunities to be successful. it costs annually to operate a large commercial building.

To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about 32 Find us on: www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia CAI. In 2009, the city deployed a customised solution based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the help of Accendo, a member of the Microsoft Partner Network — and did it in two months. Since then, CAI team members have used the solution to streamline exploration, development, monitoring and analysis of projects representing investments of 34.7 million Argentinean pesos (US$8 billion).

To know more about Microsoft’s initiatives, visit www.microsoft.com/india/about 32 Find us on: www.facebook.com/microsoftindia and www.twitter.com/microsoftindia Issue 26 | July – September 2014

This magazine is printed on recycled paper. This magazine is printed on recycled personalised transportation services with free software, support and visibility during the first three years.