The 5th Smart Cities India expo, jointly organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group, was inaugurated by Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 22nd May 2019.
The three-day expo was a congregation of innovators and imaginators, academia, policy makers and city administrators, government representatives, business delegates, multinationals etc., that came to strike business deals, expand their markets, and explore new technologies and solutions in the fields of smart cities, water management, solar, transport and infrastructure. The expo saw record visitor numbers and strong sales across all disciplines. It had something to offer to all – trade delegations moved fruitfully from booth to booth, ideas exchanged among compatriots, and business was discussed.
The fourth smart cities awards, conducted by Exhibitions India Group on the last day of the expo, received 236 nominations across 17 categories. A jury of 11 eminent members having vast experience and knowledge on the subject of smart cities across various categories such as water, education, infrastructure etc., selected the winners. The awards were presented to 17 winners, while certificates of merit were presented in 5 categories. Among the winners were New Delhi Municipal Council Smart City Ltd. for e-waste collection; Smart City Ahmedabad Development Ltd. for intelligent transit management system – automatic fare collection system; Smart City Ahmedabad Development Ltd. for safe and secure Ahmedabad project; Diesel Loco Modernisation Works Patiala for new electric locomotive – WAP7; Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Ltd. for solar rooftops etc.
Meanwhile, talking about their experience at the 5th Smart Cities India 2019 expo, Bharat Kaushal, Managing Director, Hitachi India said, “Cities are complex organisms of people, governments, businesses and organisations, which require holistic solutions that address the needs of all stakeholders. The 5th Smart Cities India 2019 expo is an integrated platform for us to showcase Hitachi’s technological prowess in the smart city space, displaying our diversified social innovation business solutions and our commitment towards enhancing the lives of citizens digitally.”
Samson Khaou, Managing Director (India), Dassault Systèmes said, “By 2030, India’s urban population will increase to more than 800 million, and over the next decade, cities will account for more than 70% of the country’s GDP. We have witnessed a push from the state governments to modernise infrastructure and build smart cities that involves building and renovating facilities, as well as construction of roads and highways. This will require significant collaboration and efficient monitoring. In addition, urban planners, architects and engineering and construction firms will leverage our 3d experience platform to deliver ‘more by using less’ in order to create a sustainable city that improves the life of the citizens.”
Sharing his experience of the expo, a visitor said, “We, as common people, usually do not realise the hard work put in by our government and local administrators in creating the infrastructure of our cities. This exhibition and the conferences that I attended have been an eye opener for me.” A group of students who had come exploring, discussed in excitement all the new technologies they had seen and were fascinated with some exhibits as well. “We have heard about electric vehicles, but never seen them. Here, we got to experience such vehicles first-hand and saw their charging stations. The EV technology is the future and I am glad to see our government is actively promoting it.”
Sharing his views about the exhibition, Prem Behl, Chairman, Exhibitions India Group said, “It has been action-packed three days for us and the response has been overwhelming. From the first-ever Smart Cities India expo, we have grown to emerge as one of the most popular trade shows in South Asia that showcases all facets of a smart city. Today, we cover multiple technologies that shape modern cities. Our intent is to provide a platform to all verticals associated with the Smart Cities to create state-of-the-art infrastructure, capable of providing a holistic experience to the citizens dwelling in the urban habitats. Our focus will now shift to preparing for next year with the vision to give our partners, clients and visitors an experience that would be as business productive, intriguing and enriching. We have already lined up a few surprises that will be unveiled at the 6th Smart Cities India 2020 expo.”
