Five smart cities on cards in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

While it has initiated the process of introducing the principles of a smart city in the Bandra Kurla Complex, the city's development authority has also decided to develop all upcoming hubs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as smart cities.

UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), said, 'The idea is that when any brand new area is developed as a greenfield development, then we should have components of a smart city in it.

It is much easier to make a greenfield project a smart city than retrofitting these components in existing areas.'

The MMRDA is considering developing five growth centres - Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi, Greater Kalyan, Greater Panvel and Pen-Alibaug - in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region along the proposed 126-km Virar-Alibaug Multi Modal Corridor.

'The plan still has to be crystallised, but once we finalise these pockets, they will all be developed as smart cities,' said Madan. Besides, MMRDA had also been planning to transform Wadala and Oshiwara as business hubs.


THE INDIAN EXPRESS