One Mega Event marks a successful beginning

One Mega Event not only brought new technologies to the fore but created an optimistic furor with a host of innovative and creative solutions on display for the development of smart cities.

Delivering the inaugural address, the Chief Guest, Rajiv Gauba, I.A.S., Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, said "The Smart Cities Mission has come to represent urban transformation and it's very interesting to see the kind of ground work being undertaken. The idea of smart cities would no doubt boost business and the economy of the country."

Over 900 smart city projects are already in the process of implementation across the country.

Stating that the Mission was launched with the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Swachh Bharat Mission, he continued, "The focus should be on innovation and new ways of implementation. Smart cities doesn't essentially mean new cities, or added infrastructure, but incorporating smart technologies for the current cities.

State governments and cities have now realised that they need to be more liberal."

Organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Exhibitions India Group, the three-day event plays host to over 400 global exhibitors from around 40 countries across 20,000 square-metres of exposition space.

Maintaining that events and exhibitions are vital for growth, L.C. Goyal, IAS, Chairman and Managing Director, ITPO, said: "Smart cities are built with smart infrastructure and, I hope, ITPO will soon witness world-class expositions."

At a time when India is witnessing the entry of all major brands and technologies, One Mega Event has attracted all these brands and technologies to exhibit, enhancing their brand awareness in the fastest growing market in the world.

Oracle Corporation, USA, being the diamond partner for One Mega Event is testimony to the fact. Global CEO of the multinational computer technology corporation, Safra A. Catz, said, "The Internet of Things, Big Data and Analytics are being harnessed to drive best solutions. Today, many global cities are mega cities with a population of over 10 million, and in those cities digitisation is the only way forward to match with the pace of movement."

The Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga, committed to "lend India the Dutch expertise in urban planning, and help use the existing infrastructure efficiently."

Stating that India is in a position to attract a lot of foreign investment, Mei-Hua Wang Economic Vice Minister, Taiwan, said, "Every country has peculiar needs and Taiwan has the capacity to devise customised solutions for India. By combining talent, software and implementation expertise, Taiwan can help India provide smart solutions for the ambitious Smart Cities Mission."

"Before launching the federal mission, India had hardly any investments in smart city programmes, but now our country is looking to increase its investment in digital technologies to make our cities work better. Hopefully, One Mega Event will serve as the platform for attracting investments for anything from managing waste better to helping citizens become more engaged with their councils, to developing efficient transport systems, etc.," said Prem Behl, Chairman, Exhibitions India Group.

As Knowledge Partner for 4th Water India 2017 expo, Avinash Kumar, Director-Programmes and Policy, WaterAid India, stated, "To ensure safe water supply in urban areas, we need to adopt innovative approaches that are people-centric and can be managed by the local governments."

At the inaugural conference session, Smarter Solutions for a Better Tomorrow, Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, opined that ultimately, smartness of any city will depend on getting high quality of human capital.

Oleg Kamberski, Head - Passenger Transport and Taxis, International Road Transport Union (IRU), Belgium, said, "Smart city from the mobility perspective means accessibility of green transport to all the citizens. A smart city is a city which creates equal job opportunities for the urban as well as the rural population. The success of the mission lies in the implementation with the help of private partnership."

Other important sessions on the first day of the mega show included City

Planning; Housing for All; Water Industry of India; Sustainable Transportation: Roadmap; Financing Renewable Energy and so on.

The Youth Leadership Summit featured inspiring speakers who provided in-depth understanding of the dynamics of evolving ideas into impactful innovations.