The Smart Cities Mission is a pioneering initiative in India’s urban development landscape. Launched in June 2015, the mission has introduced several innovative approaches, such as city competitions for selecting 100 smart cities, stakeholder-driven project selection, formation of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for implementation, and the use of technology and digital solutions to enhance urban governance. Additionally, premier academic and professional institutions conduct third-party impact evaluations.
Each of the 100 selected cities has developed a variety of unique projects, many of which are being implemented for the first time, thereby enhancing the cities’ capabilities and achieving broader transformational goals. Collectively, these cities are developing over 8,000 multi-sectoral projects worth approximately Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
As of 3 July 2024, the 100 cities have completed 7,188 projects (90 percent of the total) amounting to Rs 1,44,237 crore. The remaining 830 projects, worth Rs 19,926 crore, are nearing completion. The mission has a budget of Rs 48,000 crore allocated by the Government of India (GoI) for the 100 cities. To date, the GoI has disbursed Rs 46,585 crore (97 percent of the budget), with 93 percent of these funds already utilised. Full financial support from the GoI has been provided to 74 out of the 100 cities.
Some state and city government representatives have requested additional time to complete the remaining 10 percent of projects, citing various on-ground challenges. Recognizing the importance of these projects for enhancing urban living, the Government of India has extended the mission’s duration to 31 March 2025, to allow for the completion of the remaining projects without any additional cost beyond the approved budget. All ongoing projects are now expected to be completed by this new deadline.
