The Government of India (GoI) initiated the "100 Smart Cities Mission" in 2014. This has triggered deliberations across the country on the concept of smart cities, the need and the orientation of the Mission in the context of India’s present urbanisation scenario. The concept of a "Smart City" is a relatively new phenomenon in India. This report is a step towards synthesising various aspects related to smart cities that has led to the formation of a proposed Reference Framework by CSTEP, for the Smart Cities Mission in India. The report is expected to guide policy makers and urban practitioners in making critical decisions, in an accountable manner and spirit, which will truly make Indian cities smart.
The report begins by carving out the following scope, for India:
India and other countries are expected to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) for the Conference of Parties (COP-21) in December 2015.
In June 2014 the Government of India launched the Power for All initiative with an aim to provide 24x7 power across the country by 2019. Subsequently, a sub-committee of the Forum of Regulators (FoR) prepared a national roadmap for the initiative.