Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, stated that public-private partnerships (PPP) in the development of smart cities and villages are essential to achieving India's aim of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy. Speaking at the 8 th Smart Cities India Expo, Gadkari emphasised the importance of constructing smart villages and cities using the PPP model.

“In India, the creation of smart cities has been a success. We have a tonne of promise in this area. It is essential to establish smart cities and villages for which public-private collaboration is crucial in order to realise the Prime Minister's ambition of making India a USD 5 trillion economy,” Gadkari stated.

The future of urban development, according to Slovak Republic Minister of Economy Karel Hirman, lies in incorporating technology and data analytics into municipal planning and management. According to him, Slovakian cities are already putting smart solutions into practise for public transportation, energy, wastewater management, and public safety.