Smart city with infra buzz: Ayodhya Development Authority and the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) have combinely secured the top spot in the Smart Infrastructure category at FICCI’s 5th Smart Urban Innovation Awards. The achievement is a part of the FICCI Conference on cities which are business friendly.
The winners were felicitated for their respective contributions to a city beautification and tourist facility project in Ayodhya City, and a redevelopment project in Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai.
This year's edition of the Smart Urban Innovation Awards received a record-breaking 98 entries. These awards are in recognition for highlighting the collaborative efforts between industry players and cities to enhance liveability, business friendliness, economic sustainability, safety, and disaster resilience. The evaluation process for the awards involved both quantitative and qualitative parameters, with the jury focusing on the progressiveness, scalability, and applicability of each project. Jagan Shah, CEO of Infravision Foundation and former Director of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) hailed the Smart Cities Mission for shifting the focus from urban problems to urban solutions over the past one decade. 
"The Smart Cities Mission has significantly promoted local sustainability and self-sufficiency," Shah added. "In a first, cities were encouraged to envision what they wanted to achieve across various domains, from healthcare and transportation to air quality management and education, rather than merely installing basic infrastructure."

Entrepreneurial Spirit 

Shah highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit of the mission, which provided competitive funding to cities, encouraging innovative urban transformation visions. This approach has led to over 5,700 projects, showcasing innovations in public-private partnerships, localized technology incubation, and city-specific solutions. JVS Ramakrishna, Co-Chairman of the FICCI Committee on Urban Development and Real Estate and Global BU Head – Sustainable Smart World at L&T Technology Services  underlined the need for a holistic approach and collaboration in creating sustainable urban spaces. "The process of developing business-friendly cities requires more than just infrastructure as there is a need for technology, policies, sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation," Ramakrishna stated. “ For meeting this requirement, there is a need for synergy between the public and private sectors, especially in long-term planning and investments.” SK Pathak, Secretary General of FICCI, highlighted that business-friendly cities should be a top priority for the new government in the next five years. He cited Ahmedabad and Surat as examples of cities that offer a conducive business environment. 
Pathak stressed the importance of efficient urban governance and innovation in attracting investment and talent, as cities are expected to double in size by 2044. “FICCI member businesses look forward to more business-friendly cities in India. A business-friendly city fosters competitiveness and talent retention, and this should be a top priority for our country. The future of our youth hinges on how well we manage our business-friendly cities and innovate,” Pathak added.