The project will lead to informed decision making and a blueprint for future planning of sustainable industrial smart cities

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (FITT-IITD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 26th February, 2024 with an objective to evaluate optimality of locations for development of Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities in India leveraging the principles and framework of PM Gati Shakti.

Led by Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the collaboration marks an important move towards using advanced technology and research to strengthen India's industrial infrastructure. This will also help both the organizations leverage each other’s strength in their respective domains.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Col. Naveen Gopal, COO (FITT, IIT Delhi), Prof. Nomesh Bolia, Prof Sanjeev Deshmukh, Shri Deepak Gautam, Shri Pratik Badgujar and officials from NICDC.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajat Kumar Saini, IAS, CEO and MD of NICDC, expressed optimism about the transformative potential of the partnership. "By leveraging advanced technologies and research expertise, we aim to identify locations conducive to industrial development, there by attracting investments, promoting local commerce and generating employment opportunities," said Shri Saini.

NICDC and FITT-IITD collaborates to assess the optimal locations for developing greenfield industrial smart cities across India by leveraging the spatial & analytical data tools of PM Gati Shakti, National Master Plan portal. This initiative aligns with India's vision to emerge as a global manufacturing hub, emphasizing the importance of data-driven, decision-making in sustainable futuristic urban planning and development.

Under the MOU, FITT-IITD will leverage its technological prowess and research capabilities to analyse various factors influencing location optimality, including ease of business, living costs, logistic costs, multi-modal connectivity, ease of living index, living costs, potential of particular industry(s), raw-material availability and sustainability. The comprehensive report produced as a result of this collaboration will serve as a guiding framework for future urban planning decisions, facilitating the development of greenfield cities tailored to meet the evolving needs of industry and society.

As India aims to become a $5 trillion economy, efforts like this show how important technology, research, and working together are in building a strong and lasting future. This is crucial to achieve the goal of "Viksit Bharat" (developed India).

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Location optimality assessment to guide greenfield industrial smart city planning using PM GatiShakti data-driven framework. A Memorandum of Understanding creates a collaboration between NICDC and FITT IITD to assess location optimality for Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities using PM GatiShakti's spatial and analytical tools; FITT IITD will evaluate factors such as ease of business, logistic costs, multi modal connectivity, ease of living, living costs, industry potential, raw material availability and sustainability, and produce a comprehensive report to guide future urban and industrial planning decisions.