Dear Students,
We had the privilege of visiting three significant places today:
We were given a warm welcome by The All India Management Association (AIMA) upon arrival to Delhi. The Director General of AIMA, Ms. Rekha Sethi, gave us a broad brush view of AIMA’s mission in working with the government, universities and businesses. She offered her personal views and solutions in bringing about change in India.
In the morning, we visited IIT New Delhi where the leading expert faculty in India presented their views on 1. Energy, 2. Water and 3. Waste Management on topics and how IIT is creating public awareness for social action.
In the afternoon, we visited The Energy Resource Institute where we learned a different definition of a smart city from three directors of the institute.
Required: Share your thoughts about what needs to happen to build sustainable cities of the future to flourish by reflecting on the takeaways from each of the presentations.
Despite the rainy weather, today’s meetings with IIT Delhi, TERI, and AIMA gave us a very holistic and varied perspective on which to approach the topic of smart cities in India, focusing not only on the hard facts but also on the social issues that India faces. While we have been hearing about many technical viewpoints of professors from the universities we have visited, speaking to the women in charge of the initiatives at TERI inspired us to see from an action oriented perspective what the true issues are in implementing environmental initiative within India. The programs that have been executed by organizations such as TERI and research that is being done to improve the way of life is very impressive, yet as our AIMA hosts told us, there are many social changes that need to take place before the country can move to the place that its leaders desire. I thought it was extremely interesting that Ms. Rekha Sethi of AIMA pointed out that it is important for India to balance its technological advancements through smart cities with programs to elevate the poor. What I took away from these presentations is that these shifts will come through skills-based learning, maintenance of Indian culture and values, and emphasis on environmental sustainability.
In order to build sustainable and flourishing cities of the future in a developing country like India, the government needs to first create an incentivized platform on which both nonprofit and for profit businesses can conduct equitable and fulfilling business. The creation can be in the form of financial aid, discretionary regulation, flexible trade policies, and many others. Once a platform has been established, private enterprises will be able to partake in initiatives that are mutually beneficial for the citizens and the business, and solve societal, economical, environmental problems by freely conducting business. Construction companies can build buildings and lay roads, transportation companies can build metros and run buses, utility companies can provide electricity and clean water, and technology companies can sell phones and connect people. Currently in India, public enterprises like IIT and TERI are able to light millions of lives, supply clean water, reduce pollution because of business freedom and the availability of other public and private enterprises that are willing to fund their projects.
When discussing building cities of the future in a developed country like America, or a developed region like New Delhi, private enterprises need to be monetarily incentivized to create innovative products and systems. Such monetary incentives are in the form of joint ventures (private-private or public-private, where governments help with initial investments) or active markets with a strong demand for products and services. For example, in a city like New Delhi, where Internet use is common, there is a strong demand for smartphones. Tech companies like Samsung and Motorola embrace such demand, and, therefore, produce innovative products like the Galaxy Note and Moto X to meet that demand. It’s the same case with companies like Tyco and Cisco.
After listening to Rekha Sethi, I’m convinced that a country should strive to build smart cities that use both organized infrastructure to solve the more pressing problems like difficulty in accessing clean water and electricity, and cutting-edge technology that leads to smart decision-making.
Today, we learned about the issues of India’s environmental condition and solutions to address those issues from professors at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) and The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) and how to see smart cities and development through a business context. We first engaged in a roundtable discussion with five professors at IIT Delhi about Delhi’s sewage, pollution, and traffic issues. Our session at IIT contextualized our meeting with three outstanding researchers at TERI. We discussed “smart” cities in various lights. However, what stuck with me most was how the researchers defined “smart” cities and change management. Yes, infrastructure exists in the U.S. and the U.S. faces different problems than India. The U.S. may not see pollution in the way India sees pollution. The U.S. may not see poverty in the way India sees poverty. However, we face extreme poverty in other ways – racial inequity, social harmony, lack of equity. Innovation only happens when we feel agitated, when frustration internally forces us to make change. After, TERI, we took a short drive to the All India Management Association (AIMA) and met with its CEO. She shared with us her experience in becoming a CEO and her method of change management under her tenure at AIMA. She echoed previous speakers stating that in order to develop and build “smart” cities; we must work to increase the standard of living and quality of life for everyone, not just white collar workers. My question, struggle, and challenge for the next semester is how to use what we have learned about “smart” cities and apply them to issues of equity and happiness.
• The first speaker was at the IIT of Delhi. A key component of this presenter was discussing the sewage system of Delhi. Delhi is the first city in India to map out its sewage system which is a huge step forward for building smart cities in India. Something interesting that the panel spoke about was converting the cities into Swacch cities which disposes off in a sustainable and safe manner. To implement this into smart cities, there will need to be a joining of hands to address issues by monitoring and up keeping infrastructure and by utilizing students to create solutions. As well, it is important to educate your citizens about sewage issues and possibly incentivize them to participate in the program, either through local police or other measures.
• The second speakers we saw were at TERI who created the rating system of buildings across India for environmental control. I learned from this talk to apply to smart cities that it important to apply efficiency to waste management. Already existing cities should have specific technologies introduced to them and then allow them to ripple into the new smart cities and not the other way around. I learned as well that is important to monitor water consumption. Scaling up is the biggest challenge for cities. Because there is an expected increase from 2011 to 2025 in cars, it important to also address transportation issues. To build sustainable cities of the future, we could learn to use their system of making solar lanterns and not just giving them to the people but making a rental program for the people which women run. There needs to be more women in power in India- many of them are highly educated and compassionate for the environment and the world.
• The last speaker we saw was at AIMA. The CEO spoke about the important issue that there needs to be less white collar workers and more blue color workers in the employment sector. To create solutions, there needs to be big training facilities. This will be beneficial for smart cities like more public private sector businesses run by the government.
“Innovation happens when you are agitated by something. You must be agitated by something new or you are agitated to change something.” Among all the educational sessions we attended today, I was especially humbled by Teri’s presentation on providing equal access to basic services for all and developing cities that are smart yet sustainable. Teri’s plethora of initiatives that disrupt rural habitats with green technology is living proof that social and economic development does not need to happen at the cost of environmental degradation. For example, its “Lighting a Billion Lights” campaign creates solar-powered lanterns that female villagers can sell during the day to help other villagers access electricity at night at an affordable cost. I imagine that the resulting ripple effects inspire women empowerment (with female villagers running lantern shops) and the emergence of a new productive market (eco-friendly tools and equipment). As we consider the costs of smart city creation, be it urban sprawl, pollution, or transportation challenges, we should remember that a high quality of life and eco-friendly city practices are not mutually exclusive and are equally essential.
Similarly, our meeting with IIT Delhi and AIMA (All-India Management Association) brought attention to two additional important elements of smart cities: a robust waste management system (Delhi’s primary challenge) and skills development (AIMA’s primary objective). The CEO of AIMA spoke about India’s lack of focus on practical skills and training given its emphasis on graduate education. For example, there are currently not enough skilled workers in the country, and there is a social stigma surrounding skilled jobs such as plumbers. However, I am now convinced that times have changed to help India progress. For example, any successful multinational company or powerful country today cannot afford to ignore India given its rapid economic development and growth of the working class (average age 26). As a result, the CEO predicted that any talent that leaves India abroad would eventually come back to India for employment and to create wealth. Secondly, where the chosen occupations of Indian citizens used to revolve around a fear of failure, now the growth of startup communities exemplify an increase in risk-taking behavior and a sociocultural shift in occupational perceptions. This is prime time to mobilize the working population and change psychographic beliefs.
Given these personal takeaways, I found that there are 4 most essential components to the building of sustainable cities in India: 1) creating not only employment opportunities but also skills training programs, 2) employing sustainable technology right away at the city’s inception, 3) providing basic amenities for all people. The final component, which I believe is the primary hindrance to rapid social change, is 4) changing social perceptions about green technology and skilled labor. In my opinion, one of the largest challenges for both Teri and AIMA is to change societal views about how being resource efficient is only an activity for the poor, and that blue-collar jobs are less coveted than white-collar jobs. Being resource efficient may be a necessity of the poor, but it is a responsibility of the wealthy. Blue-collar jobs also often pay significantly more than white-collar jobs due to the shortage of workers with practical skills training. I strongly believe that encouraging community engagement is core to the success and sustainability of smart cities.
Today we visited TERI: The Energy and Resources Institute, a non-for-profit policy research organization that has developed amazing earth saving technologies like a powder that absorbs oil spillage and efficient safe burning cook-stoves. I really enjoyed this visit because TERI focused on frugal environmental innovations, not expensive technological innovations. This was a stark contrast to what we were presented with at GIFT city. It was refreshing to meet powerful women who understood that advancement did not necessarily mean westernization. When asked about what we in the U.S. can learn from India, we were told that America could be financially more sustainable (frugal innovations rather than debt financing) and be more culturally aware. I wholeheartedly agree with their criticisms and will seek economical solutions and human centered design when implementing “smart” changes to Bay Area cities.
Next, we visited AIMA, which stands for All Indian Management Association. The CEO of AIMA is also a woman. When asked how to jumpstart cultural changes, she told a personal story. She said that she did not make any changes to AIMA for the first six months as CEO because she needed to build trust with the people around her before going in and making changes. I thought this was especially insightful because we often see problems and want to change them immediately. However, she taught that trust is at the core of propelling change. She emphasized the importance of rallying people together before making decisions. We can apply this to smart city planning by understanding the needs of residents before making big systemic changes.
Continuing on Erica’s points of not equating advancement with Westernization, the representatives of TERI re-emphasized the precondition of first meeting the basic needs of a society and providing a framework for sustaining the improvements and innovations being made and implemented. Rather than focusing on our approach to smart cities from a bottom-up approach where we envision of a new, utopian smart society, it is imperative to shape our frameworks through the scope of working with existing cities to create smartness. Ms. Priyanka Kochav highlighted the problems of India, including the growing gap between the demand for energy and its supply, the overexploitation of groundwater, and inequitable access. In moving forward, organizations such as TERI form their frameworks through building blocks such as resource efficient services and infrastructures, social inclusiveness, sustainable economic growth, and the like. TERI has engaged in numerous projects and services that integrate these building blocks into viable solutions. A phrase comes to mind when learning about TERI’s efforts: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” TERI stresses the self-sustenance of its implementations. For example, in their “Lighting a Billion Lives” project, not only does TERI provide LED lanterns to areas without modern forms of lighting but also provides business opportunities for those receiving the lanterns. TERI takes the initiative further by providing training and jobs to people in the areas for lantern maintenance and rentals. Without earning any form of royalties, TERI allocates economic resources and opportunities. Ultimately, in applying this to the planning of smart cities, I find it imperative to not only come up with viable and sustainable solutions scaled to specified and local needs but also to create a framework or system where self-sustenance is formed and new opportunities are created for those who are affected.
Today was an immensely engaging day as we spoke to people who were able to provide more dimensions to what we were learning. At IIT Delhi, one of the professors explained to us about project Swachh (clean) Delhi, a push to dispose of waste in a responsible and safe manner. To first develop the system, the project had students go out to take pictures of how sewage has affected the natural drains. Then they would map out all the drains within the area to figure out a way to try to clean these drains. This type of work brought a lot of awareness to the community about what was happening. In particular it was an eye opener for many of the students as they were able to physically connect with the community at large. The main takeaway for this project is that if government wants to implement projects it has to be an e-governance model built upon public participation.
Afterwards, we went to visit The Energy Resource Institute (TERI). The three speakers were passionate and grounded in their approach to building sustainable cities. The main takeaway is that a sustainable city needs to be able to use local materials/ideas to help meet basic needs. For instance, instead of using glass buildings to try to emulate other big cities, it would be better to use stone as it has proved for centuries to be better at tolerating extreme weather. Ideas can be found anywhere, and innovation can even be found around the corner or in history books.
Finally, we spoke to Ms. Rekha Sethi, the director general of AIMA, she was an inspirational women who added a more political perspective to building SMART cities. She said that to build flourishing and sustainable buildings, we need a balance. We cannot ignore cutting edge technology nor can we ignore the large number of people living under the poverty line. If we ignore the technology, then we are rendered irrelevant. If we ignore the growing inequality, we will get a revolution on our hands. This will require both a public + private partnership, and all sectors of society needs to be involved in building a SMART city. The technology sector cannot be the only ones in these discussion but we need SMART policies as well.
Throughout our time here in India, we have learned about many technical solutions to the country’s leading problems, but today revealed the importance of adaptive solutions and the challenges associated with shifting mindsets.
We first met with experts from IIT Delhi, a dream destination among engineers throughout the world. The panel presented on the environmental harm caused by sewage pollution and encroachment, and they discussed their primary initiative targeting this widespread issue. The system put into place required mapping the city with GIS, identifying all natural and man-made storm drains, and enlisting the citizens to take pictures of areas subject to degradation and pollution. While this system involves many technical aspects, there are no purely technical solutions and the core challenges are 1) raising awareness about this program and 2) incentivizing citizens to alter their behavior and report damage that they witness. Even with tangible incentives in place, change will be adaptive, as people will need to change their lifestyles and commit to a program that does not produce immediate benefits.
Next, we met with Teri and learned about their initiatives to tackle problems ranging from oil pollution to a lack of lighting in many poor cities. Many of Teri’s initiatives are highly technical, such as the biomass gasifiers that replace fossil fuels used by SMB businesses. However, Teri’s greatest challenge thus far has been convincing people to adopt new technologies and to change mindsets. For example, Teri created solar lanterns and launched its “Lighting a Billion Lights” campaign to address an issue affecting millions of people in poorer cities. While the product works effectively and can be rented each night for a “nominal fee,” most people do not express interest in using this product due to their resistance to change. Once again, technical solutions will have no benefits unless cities are able to find an adaptive solution that changes mindsets.
Finally, we met with AIMA and learned about the organization’s initiative to encourage skills training. Within India, bus drivers earn more money than many hospital employees and teachers since so few people want to be bus drivers; this is a result of the cultural importance placed on receiving a higher education as a status symbol. However, this mindset creates conflict since many educational institutions do not properly prepare graduates for the workforce. AIMA believes that the solution lies in skills training, and this too requires shifting mindsets and educating people on the risks of attending a university.
The speakers on this day were collectively the best so far from the trip. Starting out the day at IIT Delhi shed some insight on the grassroots and local initiatives that are enacted to integrate urban improvement using integrated methods. Following this presentation, we heard from TERI and understood some of the breakthrough projects that promote sustainability and smart solutions to various issues ranging from energy accessibility to extracting value from otherwise obsolete sources. TERI was especially helpful to think about localized solutions to solve specific issues. We learned so much from their presentation and I was really inspired by their work. Overall there is such a realization of the benefits of a holistic approach. This really permeates into the socioeconomic considerations of sustainable cities. Additionally, it is realized that only through joint efforts of technology and outreach that solutions can be achieved.
Today was not only educational, but also a very inspiring day, because we listened to the perspectives of leading figures in respectable companies spearheading change in India around the concept of smart cities. I loved the fact that we had the opportunity of listening to a balance of extremely powerful and motivating female role models (Mrs. Rekha Sethi of AIMA and the three directors of The Energy Resource Institute) who provided a more humanistic and behavioral-focused view regarding the primary factors required to allow sustainable cities of the future to flourish, which balanced out the more technical-heavy views that male leaders brought to the table. It was great that we first started off the morning by listening to the views presented by the leading expert faculty of IIT New Delhi, as we received a lot of context and accurate factual information regarding the current state of India’s progression towards smart energy, water and waste management systems. This allowed us to become more informed and aware in our observations and understanding towards India’s efforts to become Swachh Delhi (clean), such as only 55% of Delhi being sewered and the complex jurisdiction of drainage systems. There was a seamless transition from this technical mindset to a reminder from The Energy Resource Institute that it is sometimes necessary to think about of the box in creating a self-sustaining business model that is should be directly catering to the needs of the community. I noticed that a common point that all of the parties we have listened to thus far brought up, is that the most important factor in building sustainable future cities is to place the basic services first (which make people happy), before expanding and innovating into other things. Especially when it comes to a complex country like India, this is a perfect example that ‘smart innovation’ cannot be a one-off technologically-based that will magically result in a smart city, and that it has to be holistically constructed from the foundation of the culture and people. Just like any other rapidly growing country, India will continue to face burgeoning challenges (4 times increase in cars from 2011 to 2015, vehicular and air pollution, water accessibility, rise in energy-intensive buildings). To ensure that these cities will both flourish and be sustainable in the long-term, providing local solutions that satisfy the basic benchmarks is the most important first step, as it serves as the foundation of a smart city’s platform.
Ms. Rekha Sethi further connected this people-focused concept to the economic, political, and social balance necessity. She is one of the few women that clearly pointed out the fact that in order to build a sustainable city that can flourish in the future, these factors that we have been discussing with executives over the past week are not mutually exclusive. In this era of globalization, it is true that we cannot lose sight of keeping up with technology, but we also have to ensure that it doesn’t cause social dilution in the country. This will otherwise only cause further disparity within the community and lead to further social problems. Furthermore, there is also a great disconnect between business and academia, where experienced businesses already know what kind of skills they want, while the knowledge that people learn in academia tends to be too theoretical, leading to both parties not being on the same page. Even in college now, as much as I value my education, most of the skills that I end up applying in my internships (and jobs that I am applying for) are on-the-job. This leads to the question of how applicable and useful the curriculum that students currently learn actually materializes and ends up being useful in a prospective career and area of focus. Depending on the specific city and its planning of a smart future, it is important to ensure that the curriculum ingrained in students, along with the expectations of businesses within the smart city, should be aligned to create high productivity workers of the future.
Today, we had the unique experience of learning from very distinct sectors involved in the smart city plan: academics, non-profit, and the private sector. Being able to hear from these three perspectives helped paint a better picture for what is required to build sustainable cities.
Our first speaker series was at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- New Delhi, the nation’s premier engineering university. We heard from a variety of distinguished faculty involved in e-business models, resource efficiency, and civil engineering. We were presented with a case study of an ongoing project with sustainable design in storm and sewage drainage systems. The new model aims to address existing drain inefficiencies by understanding local problems and getting the community members to take initiative to restore their communities. I think this is an important step in shifting societal views that the local government will always take care of infrastructural problems. Instead, there needs to be a reciprocal relationship in which the community members keep the government accountable by actively playing a role in fixing problems. In return, the government expects the community to also take responsibility in highlighting things that need to be changed. This equal distribution of power is necessary to build strong community relationships.
We then visited The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a nonprofit that seeks to find innovative solutions for sustainable development. We heard from three powerful speakers regarding the need to redefine “smart cities” as those that bring equity and happiness for all rather than solely focusing on the technological advancements. This was a much needed perspective in the discussion on smart cities, since up until this point we have mostly been talking to leaders from technical institutes. I completely agree with the notion that innovation should focus on addressing basic needs and motility. What good is technological advancements if it only increases the disparity between the upper and lower class? Instead, innovators should be focusing on minimizing the gap to bring equal resources to every member of a community.
We wrapped up our day talking to Ms. Rekha Sethi, the CEO of AIMA about the intersection of businesses, government, and society. As society continues to advance, we must remember to support the sectors that supported such growth in the first place: the blue-collar, skills based jobs. Ms. Sethi noted that one of the biggest problems is the social acceptance of such needs-based jobs here in India. I think that this issue is not specific to India- many societies are seeing a shift away from such jobs, but this is only further contributing to the socioeconomic gap.
The discussions from today came from a variety of backgrounds (technical, social, political, etc), but underlying all of these talks was the emphasis on innovating with the people in mind and engaging the community in each step.
Creating sustainable cities is a complex process that will require careful in-depth planning and consideration of many factors. Today, we had the privilege of visiting three places and spoke to highly intelligent individuals that offered unique perspectives that have, in turn, provided me with a more holistic view of what smart cities should compose of. Our first meeting was a discussion with some of the faculty of IIT Dehli. The staff introduced us to the current sewage infrastructure and the importance of waste management in a smart city. They indicated their interest in helping Dehli, and eventually the rest of India, create effective waste management systems that will increase overall the cities’ overall sustainability. However, the faculty emphasized that in order to implement their novel systems, it will require more than technical integration but also cooperation amongst the common people. This was perhaps my greatest takeaway from the meeting. The reality is that change cannot be created without certain awareness from society. Without educating people about the consequences of issues such as pollution, a new system will be difficult to implement. The force of change should come from the people with technology serving as a backup to further push.
In our next meeting, we met with an organization named TERI that has created a series of initiatives in attempt to mitigate some of the consequences of today’s many issues. For example, a project that TERI has delved into recently is encouraging green practices in rural communities. This project has provided affordable yet clean electricity to many rural families all the while providing opportunity for female villagers to engage in business by selling electrical products such as solar-powered lanterns. What TERI has done successfully is create smart solutions that address sustainability issues while providing for basic needs simultaneously. In previous presentations, we have heard polarizing opinions about what smart cities are. I believe that TERI has successfully integrated both opinions into their solutions creating one that takes into consideration social, economic, and political factors while using innovative technologies. My key takeaway from the meeting is that technological innovations and addressing socio-economic issues in society are not mutually exclusive. By combining the two, a strong smart city that uses cutting-edge technology while providing for the basic needs of society’s members can be created.
Lastly, we met with the CEO of AIMA who admitted that a major issue is India’s lack of focus on skills development and training for people entering in to the work force. This has resulted in an overemphasis on white-collared jobs and a disregard to the blue-collared workers who are obviously fundamental for successful economic growth. In order to address the issue, the CEO stated her strong belief that the country needs to provide more training facilities and opportunities to develop skills. My key takeaway was that one of the necessities of smart cities is having a conglomerate of diverse people with various skills to ensure optimal productivity. Without it, a city’s growth cannot be sustainable.
Creating sustainable cities is a complex process that will require careful in-depth planning and consideration of many factors. Today, we had the privilege of visiting three places and spoke to highly intelligent individuals that offered unique perspectives that have, in turn, provided me with a more holistic view of what smart cities should compose of. Our first meeting was a discussion with some of the faculty of IIT Delhi. The staff introduced us to the current sewage infrastructure and the importance of waste management in a smart city. They indicated their interest in helping Dehli, and eventually the rest of India, create effective waste management systems that will increase overall the cities’ overall sustainability. However, the faculty emphasized that in order to implement their novel systems, it will require more than technical integration but also cooperation amongst the common people. This was perhaps my greatest takeaway from the meeting. The reality is that change cannot be created without certain awareness from society. Without educating people about the consequences of issues such as pollution, a new system will be difficult to implement. The force of change should come from the people with technology serving as a backup to further push.
In our next meeting, we met with an organization named TERI that has created a series of initiatives in attempt to mitigate some of the consequences of today’s many issues. For example, a project that TERI has delved into recently is encouraging green practices in rural communities. This project has provided affordable yet clean electricity to many rural families all the while providing opportunity for female villagers to engage in business by selling electrical products such as solar-powered lanterns. What TERI has done successfully is create smart solutions that address sustainability issues while providing for basic needs simultaneously. In previous presentations, we have heard polarizing opinions about what smart cities are. I believe that TERI has successfully integrated both opinions into their solutions creating one that takes into consideration social, economic, and political factors while using innovative technologies. My key takeaway from the meeting is that technological innovations and addressing socio-economic issues in society are not mutually exclusive. By combining the two, a strong smart city that uses cutting-edge technology while providing for the basic needs of society’s members can be created.
Lastly, we met with the CEO of AIMA who admitted that a major issue is India’s lack of focus on skills development and training for people entering in to the work force. This has resulted in an overemphasis on white-collared jobs and a disregard to the blue-collared workers who are obviously fundamental for successful economic growth. In order to address the issue, the CEO stated her strong belief that the country needs to provide more training facilities and opportunities to develop skills. My key takeaway was that one of the necessities of smart cities is having a conglomerate of diverse people with various skills to ensure optimal productivity. Without it, a city’s growth cannot be sustainable.
A key takeway from today’s lectures is that creating sustainable cities requires a careful evaluation of the needs of all stakeholders.
Ms. Rekha Sethi, who is the CEO of the All India Management Assocation (AIMA), pointed out that there are not enough skilled workers for blue-collar jobs. In India, there is a mindset that getting a college degree is necessary to become successful, when in reality, jobs for graduates often pay less than white-collar jobs in India. Part of the reason for this is that there is a negative stigma attached to jobs that require handwork, including plumbers and electricians. Not only are there not enough skilled workers, there aren’t enough workers who are trained in their craft rather than those who only learned from their parents and on the job. But we can’t afford to have untrained workers learn on the job while building the smart cities of the future. As government officials decide on which policies to implement to promote smart cities, they will need to craft policies for the education sector to fill in this skills gap.
During our meeting with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), we learned about frugal innovations such as efficient stoves and solar lanterns. While these aren’t necessarily high-tech innovations, they are well suited for India’s needs. The focus of smart cities should not only be cutting-edge technological advancements, but should also include frugal innovations that can help the poor.
From our meeting with researchers from IIT, we learned that technology in itself is not enough to create a smart city. The researchers executed a plan to clear away sewage from the storm drains of Delhi, but the population also needs to be educated on the negative impact of dumping sewage in the drams, otherwise the drain will be filled with sewage again after the cleaning. An analysis of the region’s society is needed to more fully understand the role that technology can play.
On our first day in New Delhi, we began with a presentation at IIT. With a focus on sewage, storm water, and solid waste management, we were able to consult the panel of energy and resource management intellectuals on the efforts being taken to make Delhi a “clean city.” We then spent the afternoon with The Energy Resource Institute, TERI. In hearing about TERI’s Lighting A Billion Lives Project, I gleaned that “smartness” should bring in equity and reach all sections of society. One of the TERI’s directors commented that everything is so systematic in America, which could pose a challenge to innovation. Furthermore, she stated that diversity is required for innovation and that automation itself cannot be translated into “smartness.” Finally, we met with AIMA in the afternoon. The Director General of AIMA, Ms. Rekha Sethi, explained the importance of actively changing mindsets in India. Ms. Sethi described the need to reverse the negative perception of skills-based employment, since there is a growing need for specialized workers in India. Overall, from the three presentations I learned that in order to create more sustainable cities we must focus on waste management, providing basic goods and services to all individuals, and striking a harmony between skills-based jobs and a technologically driven economic landscape.
In the first presentation, I again learned that New Delhi (the capital of India) is facing some serious issues that were addressed decades ago in the US. One of the panelists presented the issue of lack of sewer and runoff infrastructure (55% of Delhi is not covered), and he presented a plan that would be able to cover that 55% in three years as opposed to the government’s current 20 year plan. So what I took from this is that because of the amount of bureaucracy in government, sometimes the most inefficient plans are the ones that pass. This makes me a strong believer in the public-private partnership because the government sets the rules and boundaries and then a private company whose goal is to create the most sustainable and efficient business model will take care of implementation far better. Next, we heard from Teri and saw how comprehensive their sustainable social projects were. There is no other organization like Teri in the world. As for how Teri could help with smart cities — Teri tackles socioeconomic issues that often get passed up in favor of using IOT in smart cities. When I asked what we could take from India back to America, the speakers pointed out increasing our happiness and addressing the socioeconomic and race issues in the country. Lastly, we went to AIMA and learned about how to approach group situations and leadership. Our speaker told us about her method of gaining a groups trust before she makes a large change. We must do the same in our own city groups as well as when we approach the leaders of the city we’re working with. In order to create a smart city, the catalyzing parties must all trust each other if innovation is to take place.