Page 10 - TT mag Sept 2025 Digital Edition

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Next Gen mobility and smart cities
Indo-Japanese partnership

he recent visit of Prime connectivity including small-scale include its role in developing the
Minister Modi to Japan automated urban transportation Chennai–Bangalore Industrial
resulted in the issuance systems such as Personal Rapid Corridor and supporting the
Tof a declaration titled Transit (PRT). Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
India - Japan Joint Vision for the In Dholera, this partnership has
Other areas such as smart cities
Next Decade: Eight Directions to and city decarbonization will evolved into a comprehensive
Steer the Special Strategic and be planned through advanced urban vision that extends beyond
Global Partnership, in which both industrial infrastructure to
countries expressed their intent to modeling that address challenges encompass social development.
jointly navigate the changes and such as traffic congestion and Dholera is a flagship
air pollution and utilising 3D
opportunities within and globally city models in urban planning greenfield smart industrial
over the decade, to help attain city under the Delhi-Mumbai
their respective domestic goals and development, such as Industrial Corridor and a key
and to bring the peoples of the simulation and the formulation of part of Viksit Bharat 2047.
evacuation guidance plans in the
next generation closer together event of a disaster. It aims to build a developed,
than ever before. innovation-driven economy.
The concept of a smart city
As per the PMO release, one of Dholera is India’s first platinum-
the eight directions of partnership in India focuses on upgrading rated smart city, combining
was Next Generation Mobility. informal settlements, developing manufacturing, logistics, IT
Leveraging the strengths of greenfield areas to meet housing services and residential areas.
needs and implementing
Japanese advanced technologies technology-based infrastructure The city is also a hub for India’s
and Indian talent, the countries semiconductor fabrication plant.
will establish the Next Generation in sanitation, waste management It offers multimodal connectivity
Mobility Partnership (NGMP) as and transportation. The Indian through the Ahmedabad–
government aims to build
a framework for comprehensive advanced infrastructure to attract Dholera Expressway, a proposed
cooperation in infrastructure, Greenfield International Airport
logistics and mobility. Through corporate investment, thereby and future bullet train links,
this partnership, they aim to boosting regional economies among others. The city also
co-create solutions that will through commerce and stands to gain from its proximity
employment.
address the challenges in mobility to major industrial hubs, in
fields where there is high Japan is supporting the automobiles, EV components and
demand in India and drive the development of smart cities battery manufacturing.
development of a robust next- in Chennai, Ahmedabad and Thane’s smart city project was
generation mobility and related Varanasi as part of this effort. also the subject of potential
industries that serves the vision of Additionally, India is working technological collaborations with
Make in India for the world. on 11 industrial corridors across the Japanese under the Japan-
13 states, involving 20 major India Smart City Cooperation
Utilising digital and smart
technologies, focusing on projects. Among them, Dholera Platform (JISCOP), which aims to
(Gujarat), Greater Noida (Uttar
sustainable and environment- Pradesh), Vikram Udyogpuri facilitate knowledge sharing and
friendly methodologies and technological assistance between
prioritising safety and disaster (Madhya Pradesh) and AURIC the two nations on sustainable
resilience they hope to explore Shendra-Bidkin (Maharashtra) urban development.
potential areas of collaboration, are fully ready for industrial Thane Smart City Limited (TSCL)
allotment.
including high-speed rail systems, is implementing multiple projects
transit-oriented development Japan’s past contributions under the central government’s
through integrated station to India’s smart city initiatives Smart City Mission, with 32 out
area development, Mobility-as- demonstrate a sustained of 35 projects already completed
a-Service platforms, inter-city commitment to infrastructure-led and work on three major
road networks and end-to-end transformation. Notable examples initiatives currently underway.

10 SEPTEMBER 2025 • TrafficInfraTech • www.trafficinfratech.com