New Delhi – An international conference held in India focused on the emergence of smart cities and urbanisation. Emphasis was placed on the important role played by aviation in the country’s urbanisation.
Numerous international speakers attended the conference, including the former mayor of Adelaide and the former vice mayor of Barcelona, according to an article in PCQuest. The conference was opened by Jayant Sinha, the minister for civil aviation, who highlighted the important role played by aviation in steering India towards urbanisation. According to Sinha, airports need to be enhanced to prepare for the growing number of passengers. This will have the benefit of leading to business development and job creation.
Indian has a population of 1.34 billion, of which only 31 per cent lives in urban areas as compared to most other countries, which have an urban population of around 80 per cent, according to the article. The Indian government is driving urbanisation with a number of initiatives like Urban Mission for Smart Cities, Make in India and Digital India. One of the main challenges facing urbanisation in India is the air pollution. Aviation could play a role in improving this. By 2020, India and its airports plan to become among the top destinations in the world.
