The existing Government finally came concrete on moving towards their vision of Smart City and has come up with a list of 100 cities which will first witness a transformation. Since after this, the tree of controversy and debates have been soaring to heights.

Some have welcomed this idea and are optimistically awaiting a radical change, while some are looming over the entire idea of Smart City. India, a mix of rural and urban population, majorly lacks infrastructure. People have opined that curbing this on priority and thereafter coming up with a technology driven smart city would make more sense. For every Indian, at this moment, the meaning of Smart city is restricted to Smart living where they expect good roads, power, water and livable homes.

Ravi Agrawal, looking at this project as an investor, I find many opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs to showcase their skills and participate in this enduring idea. Smart City certainly opens-up avenues for in-house skills to contribute their expertise.

However, moving back to the prime concern of basic infrastructure such as water, roads, transportation, public facilities, power supply, I guess we first need to work on these areas before we can look-up at a techno-driven city.

Where every life has a right to live and enjoy equal benefits, it would be shameful to see few moving towards a bountiful state-of-living while some deprived of even basic facilities. Where the monsoon has turned his back this year and Maharashtra been declared as a drought-prone area, we probably will have to work and focus more on helping our fellow-beings first and uplift them.

With each smart city receiving a Central assistance of Rs 100 crore per year for five years, over a period of time, it will be great to see 100 shortlisted cities undergoing a transformation. While we move on this progressive path, let us also strive to make everyone a part of this exciting journey.