Govt devises 20:20 model to help laggard smart cities

24 Feb 2020 CW Team

Under the Smart Cities mission, the Central Government has devised a 20:20 model to pair the cities in the top 20 list with those in the bottom 20 with an aim to boost the laggard cities and help them kick-start their smartening process by borrowing technical know-how and financial studies.

Among the top, Ahmedabad has been paired with Chandigarh (ranking 81st currently); Nagpur (ranking 2nd) has been paired with Port Blair (ranking 96th); Tirupur (ranking 3rd) with Silvassa (ranking 87th); Ranchi (ranking 4th) with Shimla (ranking 92th); Bhopal (ranking 5th) with Aizawl (ranking 82nd); Surat (ranking 6th) with Saharanpur (ranking 91st).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has reportedly opened a 100-day challenge for the laggard cities to boost their efforts and up their game by the fifth anniversary of the Smart Cities Mission on June 25.

Each of the top 20 cities have been paired with the bottom 20 as ‘sister cities’. Each sister city would be signing a MoU among themselves with aim at improving the ranking of the bottom city. The MoU will reportedly be valid for one year. The top sister cities will be providing access to technical and financial studies, including DPRs, feasibility studies and impact assessments.

The 100 cities selected under the mission have 5,151 projects worth Rs 2,050.18 billion identified so far. About 80 per cent of the 5,151 projects have been tendered so far, with about 60 per cent completed.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..