India’s Smart Cities Mission Crosses the Finish Line — A Human Story of Urban Transformation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious Smart Cities Mission a decade ago on June 25, 2015. It came with a promise to reimagine urban India, to make Indian cities more liveable, sustainable, and tech-savvy. Today, that promise is becoming reality—but the story is as much about people as it is about technology.

The mission selected 100 cities through a competitive process. For each city, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was created to execute projects across areas like transport, energy, water, and governance. The central government pledged ₹48,000 crore and asked states and cities to match the investment. By July 3, 2024, cities had rolled out 7,188 projects worth ₹1.44 lakh crore, with 830 more valued at ₹19,926 crore nearing completion.

As of January 2025, these projects spanned nearly 8,058 tenders; around 7,479 have been completed, absorbing ₹1.5 lakh crore.

Take Indore, for example. Once struggling with unmanaged waste, it’s now the cleanest city in India for seven straight years. Its municipal leaders partnered with residents, NGOs, and tech platforms to introduce six-bin waste systems, bio-CNG plants, and even a trenching facility that turned organic refuse into fuel. An energy-saving campaign reached every street and school in January–February 2025, saving 1.51 crore electricity units, cutting carbon emissions by 12,000 tonnes, and saving ₹29.8 crore.

Chandigarh, a city already famous for its remarkable urban landscape, has emerged as a sustainability pioneer as well. By December 2024, government rooftops were 100 percent solar-powered with a capacity of 52.85 MWp. Floating solar plants added another 8 MW, delivering 117 million units annually and slashing CO₂ emissions by 80,000 tonnes a year, saving around ₹60 crore. Its EV surge is even more personal—a city where over 15 percent of vehicles are electric, supported by 35 charging points and 12 battery-swapping stations.

In Nagpur, the ₹197 crore Intelligent Traffic Management pilot project has transformed 10 busy junctions. Smart sensors and AI-driven signals are being connected are present with full testing underway and a rollout expected by December 2026.

Officially, the Smart Cities Mission wrapped up on March 31, 2025. But in many places, that was just the end of the beginning. States are now repurposing smart city SPVs into long-term development agencies to keep the momentum alive. For instance, Uttar Pradesh has allocated ₹700 crore to seven cities, including Ayodhya, Meerut, and Ghaziabad, for smart upgrades by 2027. Urban planners are now asking: how do we go from smart bricks and sensors to smart, empathetic cities? Their key priorities include:

Sustainable financing: Beyond government funds, cities need more municipal bonds, PPPs, and green investments. As per estimates, India will need over $1.2 trillion by 2030 to stay on track with this mission.

Deeper tech integration: Real-time data, AI-driven decision-making, and automated waste and water systems are some of the path-breaking technologies that will play a role in helping Indian cities’ transition from digital monitoring to proactive management.

Inclusive approach: As many as 40% of Indians are expected to live in cities by 2030. So, with the burgeoning urban populations, development must reach the poor, migrants, and peri-urban residents, with reasonable access to basic amenities like housing, transport, and green spaces.

Climate resilience: Climate change is not a future event but something that is taking place right now, and getting worse every day. Therefore, eco-initiatives like solar parks, energy-efficient buildings, restored rivers, and urban forestry are the best safeguards against extreme heat, floods, and pollution.

In the past ten years, nearly ₹1.5 lakh crore has flowed into urban India. Command centres pulse with live data, bikes and buses run on green energy, litter bins talk to trucks, and city halls hand power back to the people. A civic leader from Indore says, “Smart is not just gadgets. Smart is caring.”

The mission may be formally over. But its impact—a mosaic of citizen stories, entrepreneurial solutions, government ambition—is just getting started. If sustained with care, this journey could turn cities not only smarter, but also more human.

(The writer is a seasoned Banker and Mortgage Specialist working for India’s largest loan distributor company and occasional political commentator.)