Pushkar in the Ajmer district in Western India.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) selected Emerging Markets Infrastructure, working in cooperation with the Smart Cities Council, Smart Cities Council India, 3 E Consulting, Cimperium and Studio POD to provide technical services supporting the agency’s role in India’s smart city development.
This came about after the USTDA entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) earlier this year with the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh that outlines the agency’s intention to deploy its program tools to support the U.S. in taking a lead role in smart cities development in these three Indian states.
USTDA’s South and Southeast Asia region has a robust India program, which has supported India’s efforts to develop its infrastructure for over three decades. USTDA’s portfolio in India includes transportation and energy infrastructure development projects that typically have an Information Communications Technology overlay.
Areas of cooperation
The Technical Advisory Services team the Council is part of will identify and facilitate key areas of cooperation between U.S. and Indian stakeholders in Ajmer (Rajasthan), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh). Key areas of focus for the technical support services include:
- Development of needs assessment programs to confirm the status of existing smart city planning strategies and modernization plans in the various Indian cities
- Identification and evaluation of smart city planning and infrastructure development projects for USTDA funding support, including feasibility studies, technical assistance and reverse trade missions
- Recommending solutions to achieve smart city planning and infrastructure development objectives
- Consultation with USTDA stakeholders and potential partners in India on best practices for integrated smart city planning
- Organization of training sessions with key Indian stakeholders in each of the cities to facilitate smart city deployment initiatives and objectives
To learn more about participating in USTDA’s Indian smart cities development activities, contact:
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Jamie Merriman, Country Manager
jmerriman@ustda.gov
Tel: 703-875-4357
Smart Cities Council
Philip Bane, Executive Director
philip.bane@SmartCitiesCouncil.com
Tel: 202-650-0023 ext. 103
About SCC Advisory Services
The Council's Advisory Services are typically offered to governments (city, state or federal), banks (domestic and international) and private real estate developers. These services are offered for projects ranging in scale from neighborhood districts to towns and cities, and for both greenfield projects and existing areas.
