Smart Cities Mission: Objectives, Implementation & Impact

Vision

With an increase in urban population and rapid expansion of areas, the government is looking at smarter ways to manage complexities, increase efficiencies and improve quality of life. This has created a need for cities to monitor and integrate infrastructure to better optimize resources and maximize services to citizens.

Objective

The objective of the smart city initiative is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure to give a decent quality of life, a clean and sustainable environment through application of some smart solutions such as data-driven traffic management, intelligent lighting systems, etc.

The core infrastructure elements in a Smart City are as follows:

• Adequate water supply
• Assured electricity supply
• Sanitation including solid waste management
• Efficient urban mobility and public transport
• Affordable housing, especially for the poor
• Robust IT connectivity and digitalisation
• Good governance, especially e-governance and citizen participation
• Sustainable environment
• Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly
• Health and education

The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model to serve as a beacon to other aspiring cities.

Coverage

The mission will cover 100 cities that have been distributed among the States /Union Territories (UT) based on equitable criteria. The formula gives equal weightage (50:50) to the urban population of the State/UT and the number of statutory towns (a town with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified town area committee) in the State/UT. Based on this formula, each State/UT will, therefore, have a certain number of potential Smart Cities, with each State/UT having at least one.

Strategy

The Smart Cities Mission is being implemented through two main approaches. The first is the Area-Based Development (ABD) model, under which each of the 100 cities has identified a specific area for focused development. These areas, selected through citizen participation, are designed to serve as replicable models for scaling similar initiatives across the rest of the city.

The second approach focuses on Pan-City Projects, which introduce technology-driven solutions to enhance urban infrastructure and service delivery. For instance, Chandigarh has launched India’s largest and most comprehensive Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system, featuring 310 docking stations and over 2,500 bicycles. This initiative has helped ease traffic congestion while promoting healthier and more sustainable commuting.

Another important component of the mission involves establishing Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for effective programme execution, encouraging diverse funding sources, and ensuring active citizen engagement throughout the process

Administrative Structure

Guidelines on Smart City provide monitoring at three levels – national, state and city.

• National: An Apex Committee, headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development and comprising representatives from related ministries and organizations, has the mandate to approve proposals, monitor progress and release funds.
• State: A High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) to be headed by the Chief Secretary of the State, which would steer the Smart City Mission as a whole.
• City: A Smart City Advisory Forum in all Smart Cities, comprising the District Collector, Chief Executive Officer of SPV is created for implementation at the city level. Its role is to release funds, and implement, monitor, and evaluate the Smart City development projects), member of Parliament, member of Legislative Assembly, Mayor, local youth, technical experts, and representatives of the area Resident Welfare Association to advise and enable collaboration.

Financing

The Smart Cities Mission in India is a centrally sponsored scheme. It also requires state governments and urban local bodies (ULBs) to contribute an equal amount for implementing projects under the Smart City Proposal (SCP). States are expected to seek funds for projects outlined in the Smart City Proposal from multiple sources including the following:

• Using State/ULB’s resources (from collection of user fees, beneficiary charges & impact fees, land monetization, debt, loans, etc.)
• Deploying additional resources transferred due to acceptance of recommendations of the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC)
• Utilizing innovative finance mechanisms, such as municipal bonds with credit rating of ULBs, Pooled Finance Development Fund Scheme and Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Leveraging borrowing from financial institutions including bilateral and multilateral institutions (both domestic and external sources)
• Availing the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

Convergence with Other Government Schemes

• There is a strong similarity between the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission in achieving urban transformation. While AMRUT follows a project-based approach, the Smart Cities Mission follows an area-based strategy.
• Similarly, significant benefits can be derived by seeking integration of other Central & State Government Programmes/Schemes with the Smart Cities Mission. At the planning stage, cities must seek convergence in the Smart City Proposal (SCP) with AMRUT, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Digital India, Skill Development, Housing for All, Construction of Museums funded by the Culture Department and other programmes pertaining to social infrastructure such as Health, Education and Culture.

Countries Supporting India’s Smart Cities Mission

Leading economies worldwide have shown interest in India’s smart city mission and are looking forward to participating in the development of smart cities. These include Spain, the US, Germany, Japan, France, Singapore, and Sweden.

• Spain has proposed to cooperate with India to develop Delhi into smart cities. The Barcelona Regional Agency of Spain has shown an interest in exchanging technology with India.
• The United States ‘Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has decided to develop Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Allahabad (Utta Pradesh) and Ajmer (Rajasthan) as smart cities.
• Germany has inked a deal with India to develop Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Kochi (Kerala) and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) as smart cities.
• Japan has decided to assist India with the development of Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Varanasi as smart cities.
• France has decided to support three Indian cities, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Puducherry and announced an investment of US$ 1.5 billion (EUR 1.3 billion).
• Singapore has shown an interest in helping India’s Smart City Mission and offered to help develop Amravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, as a smart city. The country is also looking at re-engineering and upgrading the transportation sector and retrofitting the older Indian city.
• Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK, and Hong Kong have also shown interest in investing in India for developing smart cities.
• Italy has shown interest in the smart city concept and decided to invest US$ 1.2 trillion over the next 20 years through numerous initiatives. The Italian companies will contribute in terms of design and technology for the smart cities, with services ranging from consultancy to actual construction of the infrastructure.
• 20 cities across three Indian states, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are likely to have a fast-track development under a new Indo-Canadian initiative to train smart city planners on capacity building and governance, reform implementation, and water supply and sewerage among others. The proposal aims at training at least 150 official urban planners and designers and building localized platforms and tools for efficient and predictable planning and execution of smart cities.

Budget Allocation

As part of the Union Budget 2024-25, the Smart Cities Mission in India has been allocated Rs. 2,400 crore (US$ 19.67 billion).

Status Update

As of May 9, 2025, out of the total of 8,067 projects, 7,555 projects (94%) have been completed, amounting to Rs. 1,51,361 crore, while 512 projects are in the advance stage of completion, with a value of Rs. 13,043 crore (US$ 1.47 billion).

Recent Developments:

• As of March 31, 2025, the Smart Cities Mission has achieved several major milestones across diverse urban sectors:
  • Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs): All 100 Smart Cities now have fully operational ICCCs that use real-time data for decision-making. These centres also served as COVID-19 war rooms during the pandemic and have since enhanced urban management in areas such as transport, water supply, and solid waste management by integrating advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Data Analytics.
  • Public Safety and Security: More than 84,000 CCTV cameras have been installed across 100 Smart Cities, strengthening crime prevention and monitoring. In addition, 1,884 emergency call boxes, 3,000 public address systems, and automated systems for red light violation detection and number plate recognition have been deployed to improve citizen safety.
  • Water Supply: A total of 28 cities has developed drinking water treatment capacity exceeding 2,900 million litres per day (MLD). Moreover, over 17,026 km of the water supply network is now monitored through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, helping reduce non-revenue water and leakages.
  • Vibrant Public Spaces: Across 84 Smart Cities, more than 1,320 projects have been implemented to create vibrant public spaces, including 318 km of waterfront development in 62 cities. Additionally, 55 cities have conserved 484 heritage monuments, while 58 cities have undertaken market redevelopment projects.
  • Sewerage: Around 27 cities have established wastewater treatment facilities with a total capacity of 1,370 MLD, of which 673 MLD is being reused for activities such as gardening and industrial applications.
  • Solid Waste Management: Over 66 cities have adopted technology-driven solutions to enhance solid waste management, improving collection efficiency and daily operations. Approximately 9,194 waste collection vehicles have been equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems for better route tracking and operational efficiency.
  • Mobility: A total of 1,740 km of smart roads and 713 km of cycle tracks have been developed. Around 23,000 bicycles and more than 1,500 buses have been procured, along with the construction of 2,000+ bus stops. In FY25, 177 Smart Mobility projects were completed. The implementation of an Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS), integrated with ICCCs, has streamlined traffic management, improved enforcement, and reduced travel time.
  • Education: Across 71 Smart Cities, 9,433 smart classrooms have been set up in 2,300 government schools, alongside the creation of 41 digital libraries to enhance learning accessibility.
  • Health: The mission has established 172 e-health centres and clinics (without dedicated beds), installed 152 health ATMs, and enabled 15 cities to implement e-Health record management systems, improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency. 
• On January 18, 2024, the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs showcased its achievements at the 'National Smart Cities Mission Pavilion' during the ongoing three Days Smart Cities India Expo held in New Delhi. Notable projects like the Chappan Dukaan of Indore, Connecting Past with Future of Surat, Area-Based Development of Udaipur, and Digitization of Manuscripts of Prayagraj were highlighted. The expo, organized by India Trade Promotions Organization (ITPO) and the Exhibitions India Group, featured discussions at the City Leader’s Conclave and the Smart Cities India Awards ceremony held on January 19, 2024. These events aimed to bring together city leaders and private entrepreneurs to discuss city initiatives and recognize projects contributing to the development of liveable, sustainable, and economically viable cities.