WASHINGTON (TIP): Last week US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) hosted a business meeting at Center for Innovative Technology for visiting smart-city planners from India. The meeting was co-hosted by Smart City works, first of its kind business actuator and a premier business accelerator with a focus on the built environment aiming to dramatically change the way we design, build, and operate civil infrastructure. The meeting reviewed how communities, corporations can work with technological innovation to transform India’s urban areas and improve basic services, lower energy costs, while maintaining ecological balance.

The visiting delegation from India included entrepreneurs, government officials and industry experts; Ms. Namita Banka, CEO, Banka BioLoo, Mr. Srikanth Kireeti Katam, Independent Consultant, Mr. Naim Keruwala, Program Manager, Governance and Advocacy, Avantha Foundation, Mr. Sandeep Sarin, Deputy Director, Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr. Maheep Singh Thapar, Managing Director and Principal Consultant, Adapt Technologies and Consultancy Services, Ms. Jyoti Krishnkant Unadkat, Senior Contributor, Khabarchhe.com and eminent Indian Americans from the area.

Topics that were explored included working with local and regional governments; to plan and provide equitable access to vital infrastructure such as water, electricity, and sanitation while encouraging growth and investment, to develop basic infrastructure including water, electricity, sewage treatment, and solid waste management, for personal and community health and safety, that would trigger economic growth and investments in urban areas, encourage sustainable practices such as smart building technologies, lower cost energy and transportation options, safe and people friendly greenway developments and collaborate with international partners, corporate leadership, and clean technology in urban spaces.

Sanjay Puri, Chairman, US India Political Action Committee, welcoming the delegation said, “India has some of the most crowded cities in the world. Cities attract migrants because of better work opportunities but urban spaces need to be livable and sustainable. USINPAC has a tremendous opportunity under PM Modi’s ‘smart city initiative’ to provide a platform to transfer technology and expertise to make good on this promise.”