The Smart Cities Council India, part of the global consortium of smart cities, recently concluded the 6th Smart Cities Summit – SM@RT URBANATION – at Hotel Ashok Lalit in Bengaluru.The two-day conference in Bengaluru witnessed an overall footfall of 1,500 attendees.The Smart Cities Council India, part of the global consortium of smart cities, recently concluded the 6th Smart Cities Summit – SM@RT URBANATION – at Hotel Ashok Lalit in Bengaluru. Organised on September 24-25, the event outlined India’s urban reality and future, buttressed by technological evolution. With 40 exhibitors, a two-day conference featuring more than 80 high profile national and international speakers, the Smart Cities Awards recognising over 40 cities and a footfall of 1,500, the event had all the ingredients to make it a grand success.  Also, this year, the 14th CONSTRUCTION WORLD Architect & Builder Awards 2019 (CWAB 2019) got bigger and smarter as it collaborated with the 6th SM@RT URBANATION event, recognising and awarding over 40 leading architects and builders in India. (For more details, turn to page 52.) Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Smart Cities Mission Director, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, launched the recent Smart Cities Progress Report at the Summit. “Of the 5,000 projects that 100 cities had proposed, we have tendered out 3,880 projects worth Rs.1,418 billion; grounded 3,100 projects worth `1,004 billion; and completed 1,100 projects worth over Rs.201 billion,” he said. “This is only one aspect of what the mission has achieved. The remaining projects are expected to be tendered out by March 2020.” The report includes all the recent data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on completed, operational and under-implementation projects and tenders floated. Kicking off the event on the right note, Pratap Padode, Founder & Director, Smart Cities Council India, said in his welcome address, “The opportunity for building cities that last centuries is available to our current leaders. The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor has planned eight industrial cities. Planned to come up around a radial distance of about 25 km from the proposed international airport at Navi Mumbai, NAINA city will be developed on just over a 334-sq km plot. Its development plan was recently cleared. Navi Mumbai was probably the last greenfield city that was planned and it has held its course. China has developed 30 cities in the past 30 years with over 1 million population. India has 53 cities or rather urban agglomerations with over 1 million population while China has over 160. The municipal act needs an overhaul if we expect commitment to building sustainable cities that will last centuries.”To make urbanisation a positive and productive transformation that will deliver long-term gains to citizens, Vijay Bhaskar TM, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, elaborated upon the three goals of social equitability, economic viability and environmental sustainability. He added, “Urbanisation manifests itself in two ways: Expansion of existing cities and creation of new ones. The unprecedented urban growth that is expected, especially in countries such as India, will require a wide range of policies and practices to be conceptualised around a new socially inclusive and environmentally friendly paradigm. The current situation holds tremendous potential for governments to build cities of the future that can serve as engines of growth by attracting talent and investment in the global competitive landscape.” Addressing the audience, Anjum Parvez, Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka, said, “Every city is trying to become smart and this is a positive development happening in our country. While smart is the new buzzword, we have started late. It is only in the late ’90s that we started talking about urban development. Today, there is a need to focus on the development of rural areas and create job opportunities in these areas. Also, today, we are no more just learners; we are contributors. The smart cities scheme has been a catalyst in changing the way we look at urbanisation.”Indeed, Smart Urbanation was a grand gathering of industry stalwarts. The two-day conference focused on various opportunities and pertinent solutions with regards to smart cities. Don’t miss our photo gallery that introduces you to the high-profile speakers and dignitaries. And read on to know more about the exhibition and winners of the Smart Cities Awards.The two-day conference featured more than 80 high profile national and international speakers and witnessed a footfall of 1,500 attendees.Smart Cities Progress Report: Of the 5,000 projects that 100 cities had proposed, 3,880 projects worth Rs 1,418 billion has been tendered out; and 1,100 projects worth over Rs 201 billion has been completed.5th Smart Cities Awards 2019Smart Urbanation was all about celebrating the best smart cities in India. On September 25, city strategies, projects, officials and innovative ideas in line with promoting sustainable urban development around the globe were honoured. Most important, the cities and officials recognised were those who have made the smart cities experience real for their true stakeholders – the citizens! Cities were recognised under the following categories: ‘Most Popular CEO Awards’, for those who have contributed towards the successful transformation of cities; ‘Smart Project Awards’, for the highest citizen benefitting project in India; ‘Innovation Hub Awards’, for the creators and innovators; and ‘AMRUT Cities Awards’. Smart Cities Council India partnered with Deloitte to facilitate the Smart Project Awards. Smart Cities Expo 2019With 30 exhibitors, the smart cities expo was a grand success that witnessed a footfall of over 1,200 visitors. These included high-profile dignitaries such as Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Smart Cities Mission Director, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India; Anjum Parvez, Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka; Bhaskar Rao, IPS, Commissioner, Bangalore Police; Vijay Bhaskar TM, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka; and Dr David Fisher, Founder and Chairman, Dynamic Architecture; among others.   Smart Urbanation: PartnersHost State Partners: Government of Karnataka, KUIDFCPlatinum Partner: Shapoorji PallonjiSilver Partners: Western Digital, CDE AsiaAssociate Partners: TOMTOM, Duradoor, Esri India, ItronSupporting Partners: Association of Information Technology, Bengaluru; Electronics City Industries’ Association; Computer Society of India, Bengaluru; Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce; Indo-American Chamber of CommerceSMART CITIES AWARDS 2019: WINNERSSmart Project AwardsSmart Public SafetyIntegrated Command and Control Centre – Vadodara (WINNER)Smart Solid Waste ManagementBBMP & Fresh Water Treatment Project – Bengaluru (WINNER)Smart Underground Waste Collection System – Surat (RUNNER-UP)Muncipal SWM – Bilaspur (SPECIAL MENTION)Solid Waste Vehicle Tracking System – Bhopal (SPECIAL MENTION)Smart TransportationChalo Mobile – Bhopal (1st Runner-Up)Automatic Fare Collection System – Surat (SPECIAL MENTION)Smart Citizen Service DeliveryMobile Application for Citizen Centric Services – Delhi (WINNER)One City One App – Gwalior (RUNNER-UP)Sensory Park Project – Chennai (SPECIAL MENTION)Smart Energy• Smart Metering Solution for NDMC – Delhi  (WINNER)  • Smart Light LED conversion and wind power – Ahmedabad  (WINNER)  • Wind Power Plant for water supply services in the Surat Smart City Area (RUNNER-UP)