Egov july 2016

JULY ~ 2016

CONTENTS

VOLUME 12 l ISSUE 07

U P S Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

Vipin Tyagi, Executive Director, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)

Eknath Shinde, Minister for PWD (MSRDC, Public Undertaking) Maharashtra

Rajendra Devlekar, Mayor of Kalyan-Dombivli

E Ravendiran, Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)

P G Kulkarni, City Engineer, Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) , Kalyan Dombivli

30 Dr Naresh Chandra, Principal of Birla College

COVER STORY

Chandra Singh Kothari, Mayor of Udaipur

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42 Gyanesh Pandey, Chairman & Managing Director, HSCC (India) Ltd

44 50 Siddharth Bhattacharya, Vice President, Global Marketing, Kodak Alaris

53 Anand Ramachandran, Chief Finance Officer, TechProcess Payment Services Ltd

Akshaya Kumar Mallick, Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner

S K Marwaha, Director & Scientist ‘F’, Department of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India

S K V Srinivasan, Executive Director, IDBI Bank

Sudhir Mahajan, Urban Development Secretary, Govt of Goa

Dinesh T Waghmare, PCMC Municipal Commissioner

Ashok Jain, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development & Housing, Rajasthan

55 Shaping Up the Smart City Dream

Dr A K Manocha, Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)

CONFERENCE | EXHIBITION

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI

17-18 June 2016

COVER STORY KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

SHAPING UP

THE SMART CITY DREAM Ever since the inclusion of the of Kalyan-Dombivli in the list of 98 cities to be made smart, both local authorities and the State Government of Maharashtra have been making all-out efforts to see through the Smart Cities Challenge. Having missed out in the Round-2â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Phase 1 of the Challenge, they are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the city figures in the Phase 2 list. Kartik Sharma and Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN) reports from ground zero

he local authorities aim at developing Kalyan-Dombivli into a city that offers a convenient living habitat for its citizens, with excellent transit facilities within its boundaries, and provides easy access to other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The city further aims at targeted use of large tracts of undeveloped lands, and converts them into new growth centres in the MMR. Under the smart city plan, the city plans to improve access and mobility in the city, leverage on the presence of a long beautiful waterfront, adopt smart and clean technologies towards improved infrastructure provision and create a network of green and recreational areas which can together radically

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

improve the quality of air and that of citizens’ life in this compact city. The local authority identified the smart city interventions after extensive stakeholder consultations. The citizens voted from a broad list of city level attributes and laid down their aspirations. The vision statement and goals were framed based on attributes receiving the maximum votes. Citizens were reached through mass SMS, social media, ward level meetings, focused group discussions, door to door surveys and station area booths across two phases of consultation. Representation of all sections of the society was ensured through proactive campaigning (32 per cent of Households from economically weaker sections contributed), thus ensuring a development vision shared by all. Consultations with stakeholder groups such as educational institutions and students, doctors’ association, slum dwellers through a door-to-door survey, women’s self-help groups, hawkers, architects, engineers, handicapped citizens, transport unions, elected representatives, other government agencies such as Railways, RTO, Commissioner of Police and other eminent citizens also contributed to the visioning exercise.

Transport While traffic congestion is one of the top concerns in most of the cities, nearly 65 per cent of trips in Kalyan-Dombivli take place by public transport (including 10 lakh daily rail commutes) or on foot, thus making it a city with high public transport usage. However, vehicular densities have increased disproportionate to the population growth. To arrest this increase, in last three years, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport has added 185 buses, doubled the service coverage, integrated the schedule with other bus services, etc. These measures have led to a 9 per cent increase in ridership and 1/3rd reduction in peak waiting time (KDMTU, 2015). Under the smart city plans, the city aims at improving access to railway stations such as Kalyan, rationalising the KDMTU bus routes, improve integration with other transport services and improve pedestrian access to the transport nodes.

COVER STORY

Water Augmentation of source and raw water treatment capacity to 405 MLD has made the city self-sufficient to serve an additional five lakh citizens. Augmentation of network coverage by 150 km has enabled it to supply 96.4 per cent of households (Census 2011) with 180 LPCD tap water daily on intermittent basis. The city recovers 81 per cent of operational costs, has 26,956 functional metered connections and is undertaking other measures to reduce the non-revenue water to 20 per cent of the total supply. Under the smart city proposal the city intends to undertake water demand management, metering all connections, SCADA and other interventions to improve the demand management practices in the city.

Solid Waste Management The city was ranked 174th in National Sanitation Ratings (2009-10) and required significant improvement in collection and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW). It has since augmented collection and transportation infrastructure by 17 vehicles, 44 large waste collectors, 300 garbage bins and 5,000 smaller dustbins to cover 82 per cent households with door-to-door collection. The city launched a citizen reporting mobile app for MSW issues and is in the process of developing three treatment and scientific landfill sites besides undertaking closure of existing disposal sites. Solid waste management being the critical issue in the city, the city plans to undertake rehabilitation of adharwadi dumpsite and convert it into an open park and green area. It has initiated project activities towards a scientific landfill site and waste treatment facility. With smart waste collection infrastructure it aims at ensuring 100 per cent collection and safe transfer of waste to the treatment and disposal facility.

THE CITY SMART

Kalyan-Dombivli is strategically located in the eastern MMR growth corridor. One of its key strengths emerges out of this strategic location and the resultant focus of MMRDA on development of the 27 newly-added village areas as a major growth centre. Excellent rail connectivity to employment centres in MMR through eight Central Railway stations, with 335 trains catering to about 10 lakh daily commuters. This has resulted in a compact, mixed-use and transitoriented development concentric to railway stations. The city has the third-highest density (17,000 persons/ sq km) in MMR after Mumbai and Ulhasnagar. The built pattern has resulted in 65 per cent of the trips being undertaken through public transit or on foot. The city has developed 405 MLD water source and treatment capacity. It renders the city self-sufficient by supplying 20 lakh citizens with current levels of water supply. It has covered 95.4 per cent households with tap water supply through network augmentation and has seen the least number of consumer complaints among basic services in the last seven years. The city recovers 80 per cent of the operational costs from user charges. 95.2 per cent of households in the city have individual toilets and the rest are serviced through public toilets. Up to 60 per cent of these households are connected to sewerage network; the rest are serviced through decentralized septic tank-based treatment mechanisms.

Safety & Security The city has prepared a disaster management plan, procured 55m hydraulic reach fire tender, three fire-response vehicles, rapid response boats and other

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COVER STORY KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

The city, known as a hub for affordable housing, offers relatively lower housing prices in MMR. This has resulted in fewer slums â&#x20AC;&#x201C; about 12 per cent of the population resides in slums and 0.2 per cent in make-shift shelters (Census 2011) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; compared with Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai, where the percentage of slum dwellers is 28 per cent, 53 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively. With 91.37 per cent literacy rate (Census 2011), KalyanDombivli is the second-most literate million-plus city and 10th overall in India. It also has a culturally vibrant and traditional historic core area. The city has adequate coverage of primary and secondary health infrastructure. The city pioneered an eGovernance model, under which 93 citizen services are being provided online and at six citizen facilitation centers in different parts. This model has been replicated across 243 cities in Maharashtra. The municipal administration has high implementation capabilities, with Rs 1,120 crore of infrastructure projects undertaken in the last five years. The city has been able to contribute 50 per cent of the capital investments from its surplus revenue account. The city has a robust property taxation base and accounting system, which enables it to effectively convert growth into tax revenue. It achieved 100 per cent of the city-level reforms identified under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission (JnNURM).

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disaster response infrastructure in the city. As the crime rate in the city has shown a marginal (0.2 per cent) increase, the city administration holds regular coordination meetings with the Commissioner of Police and RTO for identifying areas of potential trouble to install street lights, change urban design elements, monitor potential crime hot spots, facilitate policing in upcoming areas by development of police stations, etc.

Housing An affordable housing hub in the MMR, the city has ensured supply of adequate serviced land to enable supply of affordable housing for EWS, LIG and MIG populations. It has constructed 4,591 units under the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) plan and the slum population is limited to 12 per cent of the total population. The city has undertaken integration of building plan approval and property tax assessment database, and its general body has approved adoption of capital value based taxation system and adoption of AutoDCR facility for reducing the permission time from existing 60 to 30 days.

Town planning scheme Kalyan-Dombivli is one of the few cities in Maharashtra that has serviced open land at its disposal. This availability of land is a very strategic resource that the city intends to develop in a planned and targeted manner through adoption of town planning schemes. Owing to the support of the primary stakeholders, it plans to starting from the Kalyan West area under Smart city plan and then leveraging the experience to other parts of the city. This planned development is intended to rebalance the growth of the city into a more planned and environmentally sustainable direction.

Citizen engagement The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), through its eGovernance framework, has ensured transparent communication with its citizens. Establishment of ward-level

offices, six consumer facilitation centers across the city, a web portal and a 24X7 helpline have ensured that KDMC is approachable to all and at all times. Every Thursday, the Commissioner and Ward Officers remain accessible to the citizens directly for feedback and comments.

eGov at Work The city developed a national award winning, pioneering eGovernance module in 2002. It has ensured online and offline accessibility of all major municipal services to citizens. The city has since gradually increased the number of services offered to 93 and now includes almost all citizencentric facilities that a city provides. The services include complaints, taxation, payments, registrations, approvals/ no-objection certificates, etc. The module also provides facility for tracking of application by the citizens. This module has been replicated at 243 other municipalities, with hand-holding support provided by the KDMC team. As part of the smart city interventions, cross-sector business process re-engineering has been proposed to be undertaken to enable digitisation of manual processes, leading to data availability and integration in decision making. The City has undertaken GIS mapping of all infrastructure till 2011 and the new infrastructure being developed. Important information such as development plan, city development plan, consultations, e-procurement, complaints status portal, municipal budgets, mandatory disclosures under the Right to Information Act, etc., are made easily available to citizens on its website. Eight out of 12 services under the Right to Services Act are made available to citizens online through the web-portal. The website is updated on a regular basis with all survey/ study results, newsletters and other relevant documents.

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

EKNATH SHINDE

Ensuring Smart and Safe Kalyan-Dombivli Kalyan-Dombivli is a historic city and every effort will be made to preserve the heritage of the place, and the government would also make sure that the city is modernised as per the given standards. This is how Eknath Shinde, the Minister for PWD (MSRDC, Public Undertaking) Maharashtra, explains the role to be played by his ministry in an exclusive interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN)

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL EKNATH SHINDE

hat is your vision for Kalyan-Dombivli smart city? I expect all-round development of Kalyan-Dombivli. All types of facilities should be made available to the residents. I believe that when better facilities are available at one’s command, only then you become smart. On behalf of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), we will put in our best efforts to provide all sorts of facilities to the residents, so that it can become a smart city in true sense.

“Smart city means inhabitants have clean roads, pavements, clean drinking water and proper sewerage, and our people are working to that end…. We’ll try our best for the allround development of the city”

You hold a key portfolio in the Government of Maharashtra. How do you intend to serve the people of Kalyan-Dombivli? A proposal has been submitted by the Municipal Commissioner to the MSRTC regarding the availability of roads in every nook and corner of the Kalyan-Dombivli city. We have to work on the traffic congestion. We are doing one of the largest elevated road projects between Bhiwandi and Kalyan which is 21 km. Once that is done, we will be able to control traffic to a great extent. We are also making a flyover in Durgadi and a bypass road in Govindwadi, which will reduce traffic woes. All the projects related to roads and flyovers have been undertaken to relieve the people from the problem of traffic congestion. What would be your suggestion to your party cadres and fellow leaders to contribute to the Kalyan-Dombivli smart city initiatives? Smart city means inhabitants have clean roads, pavements, clean drinking water and proper sewerage, and our people are working to that end. As I said, we’ll try our best for the all-round development of the city. We will fully try to implement the Integrated Road Development Plan (IRDP) for KalyanDombivli. And once it is done, the city will be a great place to live in.

How far do you think technology will be useful in making KalyanDombivili a smart city? This is the age of competition, so we will make the fullest use of information technology to ensure that the people of Kalyan-Dombivli do not find themselves lacking in this race. In this regard through the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), we are going to build growth centres, which will be a project costing around `1,000 crore. My government and me as a minister in the Welfare Department will put in our best efforts.

Industries are eyeing tier-II and tier-III cities. Where does KalyanDombivli stand? We have our vision clear that more and more industries should come to Maharashtra, and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is doing its job. But, civilians’ life should not be affected by the hazards of industrialisation; there for, these chemical companies should be at a distance from human settlement. How would you win the trust and confidence of the Industry? Our Industry Minister Subhash Desai and Chief Minister are doing their best to woo the industry community. We want more and more industries to come here, so that our citizens can get jobs and earn their bread and butter. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL RAJENDRA DEVLEKAR

COMPREHENSIVE GROWTH

NEEDED FOR SMART CITY DEVELOPMENT

The Kalyan Dombivli region is advantageously positioned to leverage economic opportunities due to its proximity to the proposed eastern freight corridor, Vasai-Alibag multi-modal corridor, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and other developments focusing on eastern MMR. Rajendra Devlekar, Mayor of Kalyan Dombivli in an interview with Kartik Sharma, Poulami Chakraborty and Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN) explains how increased logistics facilities, manufacturing activities and associated services provide the potential for Kalyan-Dombivli to emerge as a significant economic growth centre

fter being selected in 98-to-be smart cities, what is the roadmap of KDMC to deliver better citizencentric services? We can deliver better citizen-centric services in Kalyan Dombivli region if the Central Government and State Government provide us with adequate funds. The need of the region is better transport and broader roads. The newly merged area comprising 27 villages under the KDMC vicinity has a unique potential of being developed into a growth centre. We need to build good infrastructure there. The work is in progress to identify areas where funds allocated under smart city mission would be utilized in larger public interest. We need experts and skilled people in large number to help us.

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What obstacles are there in implementing the smart city plan? Air and noise pollution levels are above recommended levels, and the presence of open municipal waste dumping site and drains leads to foul smell and unhygienic conditions in Kalyan Dombivli region. There are two rivers in the city and we have to undertake cleaning of both of them. Besides, we lack in treating and scientifically disposing 650 MT solid waste generated in the city regularly. The city has several large natural lakes and water bodies. These have the potential of being developed into a network of public recreational areas/ green spaces and for rain water harvesting.

RAJENDRA DEVLEKAR KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

What is the role of public in developing a smart city? In a city like Kalyan, where slums and chawls have mushroomed over the decades, we need a rehabilitation plan to build high-rise buildings. We have to keep in mind the basic necessities of slum dwellers. There are many challenges to develop Kalyan Dombivli region in the lines of smart city. This region has witnessed horizontal development since year 1985 to 2010. In every nook and corner of the city, a lot of chawls, slums and jhuggis have taken place. We cannot even think of becoming smart keeping such kind of infrastructure. Hence we need big housing projects to accommodate these people. To change the mindset of people we should initiate some big projects on water, solid waste management, etc and start implementing them.

What is your take on Swachh Bharat mission? Taking a cue from Swachh Bharat mission, we have initiated a cleanliness campaign in Kalyan Dombivli region in the month of May with a slogan ‘Parivartan Kalyan Dombivli’. Our Prime Minister and Chief Minister are spreading awareness about Clean India and Clean Maharashtra, respectively, we are taking forward their vision by cleaning our region. Our sanitary wing is doing a good job but we need to change the habits of citizens. Littering, dumping garbage anywhere and segregation of polywaste and medical waste are a few hurdles.

What kind of technological infrastructure is needed to fuel the growth and development of Kalyan Dombivli region? Kalyan-Dombivli has an e-gov portal for information dissemination, complaint registration and e-payment of water bills and property tax. It is observed that the outreach of the corporation to the citizens is weak. 353 connections out of 1,15,705 water connections make payments online. Further analysis revealed that e-payment in only

available through “net banking” for a single banking partner and other modes of e-payments are not available. This forms the basis for upgradation of the existing system. There is also a mobile application ‘Clean KDMC’ to send pictures of the waste dumps along with geo-tagged locations.

What support is needed from State and Central Government? We need adequate funds from Central Government and State Government. We also need any proven technology to be deployed by the State Government to treat solid waste in Kalyan. Our engineers are using technology to treat the drain water so that it can be used to water the plant.

Is Public Private Partnership (PPP) model useful? PPP model is useful for sustainable development of a city. But there should be set procedure in PPP or Foreign Direct Investment. It should be time bound otherwise it is useless. Recently, we had given a proposal to foreign company worth Rs 6,000 Crore but it could not be matured. So we could not reap any benefit out of it.

What is your plan to strengthen Disaster Management? We recently faced a disaster in MIDC. Kalyan was gripped in flood in 2005. So, we need a good team of Disaster Management to combat such calamities. If a unit of NDRF can be established in Kalyan Dombivli or Thane region, we can get quick relief from such disasters.

Your message for KDMC Smart City Summit 2016. KDMC invites people from across the nation to showcase their best practices in the Centre and different states at KDMC Smart City Summit 2016. We will learn a lot from their experience and exchange ideas at this platform. We have raised a few demands to our Chief Minister and we are hopeful to get them fulfilled at this summit.

The city has several large natural lakes and water bodies. These have the potential of being developed into a network of public recreational areas/green spaces and for rain water harvesting. Therefore, we need smart planning and execution to for day-to-day requirements including potable water, sanitation, drainage facility etc and for that we need adequate funds

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

E RAVENDIRAN

SMART CITIES ARE ABOUT SERVICES

NOT JUST TECH

The development of a smart city is an idea driven by many factors, not just technology. The facilitation of good municipal services, including pedestrian-friendly roads and affordable housing, also form a major part of it, says E Ravendiran, Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), in an interview with Kartik Sharma & Poulami Chakraborty of Elets News Network (ENN). According to him, a smart city should be self-sustainable and improve the quality of life of its citizens. Excerpts:

eing the KDMC Commissioner, how do you visualise a “Smart KalyanDombivli”?

My perception of a smart KalyanDombivli is “an attitude of individual towards city.” Smart city is not merely smart infrastructure but smart behaviour as well. It means ease of living, ease of doing business, free mobility from home to stations, less pollution, more greenery, 24x7 water supply, etc. There should be transformation in the lives of citizens after implementation of smart city projects. In such a city, citizens should get municipal services at his/her

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fingertips. The city should also be pedestrian-friendly and pollution-free along with public transport, e-parking, employability and affordable housing as its key attributes. I can see these potentials in KDMC. The literacy rate of KDMC is very high, almost close to 90 per cent and this will help KDMC to become smart much faster than other cities. At last, a smart city also entails transforming a dormitory city into a “self-sustaining” city.

Apart from central and state funds, how else would you procure funds for raising the smart city?

E RAVENDIRAN KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

Financial planning is very crucial in urban planning. There are limited sources of revenue as far as Municipal Corporation is concerned. Financial self-sustainability can be achieved by managing revenue in a most efficient manner. Leasing of Municipal properties which are lying idle will generate

backdrop of the smart city project.

What do you think of citizen engagement in the development process? Do you see any challenges on that front? Citizens are the real beneficiaries of development. Citizen engagement is very vital in planning and development process of a city. Being an end user and tax payer, they should be benefitted from development by availing services, such as adequate water supply, waste management, infrastructure etc. Therefore, it is essential to engage citizens in development process so that overall objective of development can be achieved. But this process is challenging at the same time because of a trust deficit between the urban local bodies and citizens. It is a difficult task to engage citizens as they think their suggestions or opinion will not be honoured. As far as Kalyan Dombivli is concerned, majority of its population is working class, so getting them on board is a tough task. With the help of social media, we are trying to reach these citizens so that we get a better idea about how they perceive their city in terms of carrying out development.

How do you plan to acquire human resources and from where?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Municipal Corporation has prepared a comprehensive plan to tackle solid waste problem in the city. We are in the process of installing decentralised bio-gas plants at various locations so that waste in that locality is treated there itselfâ&#x20AC;?

enormous revenue. It is true that there is a mismatch between demand and supply of various services; to provide effective services, the organisation needs an investment in manpower and technology. To overcome the aforesaid problems, involvement of private parties in the development process is important. Leveraging their experience will help the Municipal Corporation to develop the infrastructure in and around the city. The Municipal Corporation may borrow a soft loan from HUDCO, MMRDA and other lending institutions. The leading private banks are interested to lend money to the corporation in the

The Municipal Corporation has its own staff for day-to-day work; however, there is a need of capacity building. We have empanelled consultancy organisations and experts who offer their services as and when it is required. There are charitable organisations who support us in social causes, such as mass cleaning of waste, lake cleaning and conservation, and beautification of cities through CSR activity.

Do you have any plans in the areas of green building, green energy and solid waste management? The Municipal Corporation has prepared a comprehensive plan to tackle solid waste problem in the city. We are in the process of installing

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

E RAVENDIRAN

‘THIRD’ MUMBAI Kalyan-Dombivli is getting developed as “third” Mumbai. There are various reasons for it, such as affordable housing, availability of land and connectivity to Mumbai as a workplace. Considering the linear development of Mumbai, more people tend to shift to the KalyanDombivli area decentralised biogas plants at various locations so that waste in that locality is treated there itself. We have also invited a bid for development of waste into energy through a plant having 600 tonnes capacity at Umbarde. The Municipal Corporation will propose tax benefits for green building projects. The corporation has also proposed in-house sewage treatment and solid waste management in mega township projects. We have also adopted renewable energy equipment to reduce the electricity consumptions.

What other plans are in pipeline? Which private firms are involved in carrying out such projects? There are several:

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l The Municipal Corporation is working on a project with a tentative cost of approximately `100 crore. Its implementation entails preparing a DPR for City Park and Botanical Garden for which an agency has been appointed by us. l We also propose installation of waste-to-energy plant having incineration technology on a PPP basis at Umbarde. l Landscaping of 23 km of riverfront development with the help of private players, etc. l Amusement park at Titwala on a PPP basis. l Development of a 400-bed super speciality hospital, along with a 50-bed isolation hospital-cummedical college of 100 seat capacity at Titwala with the help of state government and private players. l Integrated road development of 117 km.

A section of media says a third Mumbai is getting developed near the Kalyan-Dombivli area. How do you see this? It is true that Kalyan-Dombivli is getting developed as “third” Mumbai. There are various reasons for it such as affordable housing, availability of land and connectivity to Mumbai as a workplace. Considering the linear development of Mumbai, more people tend to shift to the Kalyan-Dombivli area. The State Government has also proposed a growth centre in the newly added 27 villages; this development will act as engine of growth to the city. Availability of skilled manpower and land will fuel growth in adjacent areas too. The government has proposed various mobility projects, such as ring route, Mankoli-Anjur phata link road and elevated flyover from Bhiwandi to Shill phata. All this will enhance the ease of commutation in the MMR, standard of living and return on investment of citizens.

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL DINESH T WAGHMARE

Building Smart City Dream, Brick by Brick The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will play the role of an Infrastructure Integrator by bringing together infrastructure developers, urban planning institutions, lending institutions and investors to realise the smart city vision, says Dinesh T Waghmare, the PCMC Municipal Commissioner, in an interaction with Poulami Chakraborty of Elets News Network (ENN)

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL DINESH T WAGHMARE

hat is your vision of a smart Pimpri Chinchwad city? The PCMC has already taken a lead in bringing digital governance for municipal services. The approach towards smarter Pimpri Chinchwad is to integrate the digital governance system with physical infrastructure and citizens through GIS platform to catalyse the process of infrastructure development to achieve the goal of being a slum-free city and a lowcarbon city while also retaining the economic growth.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The approach towards smarter Pimpri Chinchwad is to integrate the digital governance system with physical infrastructure and citizens through GIS platform to catalyse the process of infrastructure development to achieve the goal of being a slum-free city and a low-carbon city while also retaining the economic growthâ&#x20AC;?

What challenges do you foresee in turning Pimpri Chinchwad into a smart city? The challenges I foresee in turning Pimpri Chinchwad into a smart city are: l Integrating the planning process of different authorities like MIDC, PCNTDA, defence authorities and railways; l Developing channels for active citizen participation; l Developing accurate and dynamic information system for decision-making; l Making available the last-mile connectivity; and l Averting human hazard by preventing river pollution. What will be the role of PCMC in realising the smart city dream? The local government of PCMC will take the role of Infrastructure Integrator by bringing together infrastructure developers, urban planning institutions, lending institutions and investors to realise the smart city vision. PCMC already has the experience of being Infrastructure Integrator for developing the BRT system in the city. The financing for the BRT project has been done by the Government of India (GoI), Government of Maharashtra (GoM), World Bank and Pimpri Chinchwad Infrastructure Company (PCIC) through its Urban Transportation Fund (UTF).

To improve the efficiency of transport system, PCMC will develop an integrated multi-modal route rationalisation plan, which will be implemented through the ITMS. PCMC has already undertaken the study for the implementation of nonmotorised transportation and public parking along all transit corridors What is your vision for developing an efficient transport system for the smart city? The vision for transport system in smart Pimpri Chinchwad is to have efficient, economical, intelligent and integrated transportation infrastructure for public and freight. PCMC has embarked to achieve this vision by developing a comprehensive mobility plan for implementing the BRT system over a stretch of 120 km. As per the plan, as on date, 45-km-long road has already been developed and another 75 km stretch development is under implementation. To enhance the transportation capacity further, 7.15km metro rail system and 30 km light rail system (LRT) has been planned. To improve the efficiency of transport system, PCMC will develop an integrated multi-modal route rationalisation plan, which will be implemented through the Intelligent Transit Management System (ITMS). PCMC has already undertaken study for implementation of non-motorised transportation and public parking along all transit corridors.

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW AKSHAYA KUMAR MALLICK

Photos: Uttam Kumar Pal

Rourkela Braces for

Smart City Battle Rourkela — the Steel City, which is one among the 98 cities selected for the Smart Cities Challenge, is ready for the second round of challenge, says Akshaya Kumar Mallick, the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner. Mallick may be just two months old at the current office, but he is quite positive about Rourkela’s performance in the upcoming round. In an interview with Namita Panda of Elets News Network (ENN), he shares plans for ‘Rourkela Smart City’

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW AKSHAYA KUMAR MALLICK

What are the steps taken to ensure Rourkela makes it to the next round of the Smart Cities Challenge? We have entrusted the job of making a smart city proposal (SCP) for Rourkela to Deloitte with technical assistance from the UK-based Department for International Development (DFID). We have had three high-level meetings at the state government level to help us and guide with the smart city questionnaire, which is part of the challenge. The five-block Area Wise Development (AWD) plan has been drawn for sewerage and solid waste management (SWM), water supply and 24x7 availability of electricity.

“Over 10,000 people have already sent in their opinion on the mygov.in portal for the second phase. Similarly, we have thousands of likes and posts on Facebook, too. Most have wished for a greener environment and citizen-friendly roads”

Rourkela had missed out in the first round. What is the approach this time? The main motive is to encourage bottom-up planning approach to overcome the flaws of the first round of the SCP planning and development process through the four pillars of comprehensive development — institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure — using smart solutions, innovative ideas and technologies. More awareness has been generated among citizens, students, youth, professionals, stakeholders and associations to get connected digitally and associate in the planning process through their suggestions. How important a role does ICT play in getting ready for a smart future for Rourkela? The entire smart city concept is based on strengthening ICT and reaching out to people through technology. ICT is critical to designing a smart city because citizen participation through online forums is the key to planning a livable space for them. That is why we have enabled various online platforms for people to participate and give their views, opinion and share ideas with us through Facebook, mygov.in portal, e-mails and so on.

How has the response been from people as far as participation online is concerned? Over 10,000 people have already sent in their opinion on the mygov.in portal for the second phase. Similarly, we have thousands of likes and posts on Facebook, too. We have also received some very interesting and significant inputs from the citizens. Most have wished for a greener environment and citizenfriendly roads. What are the initiatives for children and senior citizens in the SCP? We are already coming up with 17 parks and recreation centres for children and senior citizens under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Children are at the centre of our vision for Rourkela Smart City, and the proposals have been designed keeping in mind their safety and freedom. We also host “Road Mania” every Sunday and invite various local clubs and NGOs that involve children and encourage sports and other activities. Similarly, the city will be redesigned into a friendly place for senior citizens, providing navigable roads and accessible assistance. Is the Steel City ready to be a Smart City? What are the likely challenges that the Rourkela Municipal Corporation may face when it comes to execution of the drafted proposals? We had ranked 46th in the list of 98 cities. Rourkela is already a wellstructured city since it was a planned city since the very beginning. We are planning to bring in 40 wards as part of the smart city plan. With 115 slums, it will definitely be challenging to build technological infrastructure while ensuring inclusive growth for all. But the proposal is all about making the execution easier. We have already developed apps for people’s participation in the Rourkela Municipal Corporation’s activities and also for “Swachh Rourkela” under Swachh Bharat programme.

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UDAIPUR MAYOR CHANDRA SINGH KOTHARI

Heritage Rich Udaipur on way to Becoming Smart Making a smart city entails facilitating many services at the grass root level which is then combined with technology to take it another level. Talking on the same lines, Chandra Singh Kothari, Mayor of Udaipur, shares his insight and plans of making Udaipur a smart city by maintaining its cultural heritage and infusing elements of modernism in a conversation with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN). According to Kothari, every city needs a different customised plan to suit its requirements to be turned into a smart city. Excerpts:

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UDAIPUR MAYOR CHANDRA SINGH KOTHARI

In my 1.5 years of tenure, we have developed various tourist points. Then there are the greeneries and the mountains surrounding the city. The City Municipality will give a sum of `2 crore every year to the forest department to create more greenery

hat is your vision to make Udaipur a smart city? First of all, we want that the culture of this city be preserved at all cost. If you see from the point of view of natural resources and heritage, there are various similar wonders preexisting in the city which already make it rich. So our aim is to maintain the old vintages and also to adopt elements of modernization to the extent that will result in ease of life. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we have taken a walled city as a starting point. There are other issues such as sewerage, traffic and parking. Parking and traffic are linked up with one another, so these are the three things we have to resolve on a priority basis. Sewerage is the biggest challenge facing us. Places with handpumps no more produce clean water. There are narrow lanes and in underground, there are sewerage and hand pumps at an interval of short distance. Every city has to have a different plan customised to suite its requirement. You

can implement the same plan for Jaipur and Udaipur. We have visited Denmark, but you cannot replicate the same plan. What are the incentives that your government is offering to promote tourism? In my 1.5 years of tenure, we have developed various tourist points. Then there are the greeneries and the mountains surrounding the city. The City Municipality will give a sum of Rs 2 crore every year to the forest department to create more greenery. It is also called the city of lakes, perhaps this is the only city in Rajasthan that spends `5.5 crore on single

machinery to develop lakes. There is a system comprising of manual labour and machineries which are always engaged to maintain our lakes as it is one of our biggest attractions. We have rich and dense biodiversity like no other place. Our biological park is second to none. We are also working on a unique bird park project which will harbor birds that is only read in books or seen in TV. What role technology has to play in all of the development projects that you mentioned above? We are trying to provide all services online. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any problems in accepting that so far there hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been an extensive adoption and implementation of information technology, but the time is ripe now and we have resources at our disposal like budgetary and consultancy. Our new Municipal Commissioner is a young man and is also tech savvy, so now things will move in a fast pace.

What are the steps the government or the city administration is taking to woo industrialists since they are also eyeing for investment opportunities in the city? Truly speaking, we have lagged behind in this sector. The only industries that have existed here for a long period is mining, be it soft stone or marble. But we are trying to make it an education and a medical hub. Udaipur probably will be the first city in Rajasthan where five medical colleges will run simultaneously. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

U P S MADAN

MMRDA to Facilitate

Four Smart Cities

Maharashtra has become one of the major centres for developing smart cities, with its 10 cities getting place in the list of 98 cities selected by the Central Government. Out of these, four cities are in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where U P S Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), is drawing the roadmap for developing those. Excerpts from an interview with Poulami Chakraborty of Elets News Network (ENN)

n what ways is MMRDA associated with the Central Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smart Cities Mission? It is indeed a brilliant initiative by the Government of India to develop about 100 cities as smart and fortunately, in our state, there are 10 cities nominated out of these 100. Out of these 10 cities, four cities happen to be in MMR where MMRDA is the planning authority. A lot of developmental work for infrastructure and building of smart cities goes on in this region and incidentally, I have been chosen as the mentor for smart cities in the Kalyan-Dombivli area, to help them succeed in the projects of smart cities and mapping out the roadmap for Kalyan to convert it into a smart city. At MMRDA, we have agreed to support Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) till they get funding from the Government of India. Personally, in my individual capacity, I have been closely involved since the first day for designing the project, prepar-

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ing the roadmap, etc. Having worked with KDMC Municipal Commissioner E Ravendiran for the past three years, we at MMRDA know the region well and can contribute in its planning which can be useful to the city. Hence, MMRDA is trying its best and is contributing in the best possible manner, so that the KDMC smart city takes off at the earliest. Please elaborate on the MMRDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roadmap for smart city development in MMR. We at MMRDA are the regional planning authority for the entire MMR. In a new plan, we have proposed out a number of infrastructure development-related plans for the municipal corporations and councils in its jurisdiction. Though there is no specific mandate for MMRDA for developing smart cities, we have been working on it and plan to develop a few growth centres. The idea behind these growth centres is that they will be working in line with the whole

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL U P S MADAN

smart city concept. We have thus, taken up one growth center that will promote and advocate growth for the Kalyan region. There are 27 villages which were earlier considered outside KDMC; however, with the help of this growth centre in Kalyan, we are able to include these 27 villages to be a part of KDMC. In 10 villages, we have taken up an area of 1,089 hectares of land to develop a growth centre which will work in lines with the smart city concept, initially to begin with. Here all possible and required amenities and infrastructure will be provided, so that it meets the need of a smart city.

MMRDA is helping municipal corporations by providing them with grants or funds. We have also provided a large number of public toilets in Kalyan to ensure cleanliness and hygiene

What are the key criteria that a city must meet to become a Smart City? There are several parameters on the basis of which a city is rated as a smart city. There are several amenities that a city should provide to its citizens like 24/7 water supply, electricity, cent-percent coverage of sewerage and drainage in the city, adequate facilities for education and healthcare, public transport services, IT connectivity, etc. Again, when we talk about adequate water supply, it should be ensured that there is sufficient clean and purified water supply for human consumption, with barely any wastage or theft of the resource. Another aspect that plays a significant role in building a smart city is the use of technology in civic amenities. For example, to identify and locate leakage issues in pipeline, one uses technology or IT to identify the exact location of the leakage and thus, ensure that the issue gets resolved. Municipal corporations are the bodies responsible for the upkeep of n urban area. What sets Kalyan-Dombivli apart from others? The biggest USP of Kalyan-Dombivli region is its location and it is located in the financial capital of the country. Given its proximity to Mumbai, the importance of the Kalyan-Dombivli

region is growing with each passing day. Secondly, the region is very well connected through rail, road and air. If this region can have a little more open area, this can be made to grow into a separate smart city having its own financial centres. With that happening, we can create job and business opportunities within this region; thus, retaining people within the region instead of making them travel to other parts of the city. So, the potential of the Kalyan region to emerge as one of the smart cities in the State is already there. Cleanliness is one of the key aspects of a smart city. How is MMRDA promoting the Central Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Swachha Bharat Mission in MMR? Though Swachha Bharat is one of the key initiatives taken by the Government of India, by our Honâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the concept has to grow from the grassroot level. Besides, there is an urgent need to ensure that the local citizens are provided with the best-in-class eGovernance and ICT facilities. Also, it is important to ensure good infrastructure and other facilities needed for hygiene and sanity for improving peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle. MMRDA is helping municipal corporations by providing them with grants or funds for all these procedures and facilitations to address these issues. We have also provided a large number of public toilets in Kalyan to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. Today, IT has been adopted by almost all sectors to ensure improved efficiency. What role can IT play in the development of a smart city? IT initiatives are, in fact, one of the most important components of a smart city. The smartness usually comes from the usage of IT with more and smarter management systems. Whether it is to provide efficient water management systems or to provide state-of-the-art healthcare or education facilities, the use of IT is very important.

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL P G KULKARNI

PAVING WAY TO

SMART SUSTAINABLE CITY Regarded as the gateway to Mumbai, the elevation of Kalyan-Dombivli from the existing state of being a dormitory town to a smart city is key to the development of the suburban Mumbai. What the city administration has done so far and what it plans to do in the future is elaborated by Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) City Engineer, P G Kulkarni in a tête-à-tête with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN)

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P G KULKARNI KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL

ince the announcement of Kalyan-Dombivli as a smart city, how do you find your role evolving as City Engineer?

I am elated to learn about KalyanDombivli’s selection for the proposed 100 smart cities, which is aimed at improving citizen centric services. It may be noted that Kalyan-Dombivli has got immense potential, mainly because it is a historic city and has a lot of cultural relevance and being the entry point to Mumbai, I am very excited. There are two kinds of infrastructure— physical and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Since 2002, we have been pioneering the cause of e-governance in the urban local body to take services to citizens’ doorsteps. Our projects and concepts have been emulated by many other cities and councils in Maharashtra. We have inherent capacity to go for IT solutions as mentioned in the smart city, either for pan solutions or area-specific solutions. In the last five years we have executed about `1,000 crore projects under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). For the urban poor, we will build thousand odd tenements. In the municipal fund, we have the experience of developing two giant auditoriums with a capacity of 1,000. We also have the experience of building swimming pools, flyovers and road over bridges (ROBs) among many others. That underlines that KDMC is fully competent to execute projects laid down in the smart city plan.

Tier-II cities like Kalyan-Dombivli has a lot of challenges. How do you handle those challenges to fulfill the dream of becoming a smart city? As far as technical field is concerned, there are challenges of congestion. The city is very congested. When it comes to growth and development, we have strengthened many utility services for the convenience of citizens. The city has a lot of problems for placing those utility services. But given our

previous experiences, I am optimistic that we will overcome these hurdles effectively. The KDMC Commissioner is determined to remove backlog in projects on a priority basis.

Solid waste management (SWM) is a huge challenge for any civic body at present. What are your plans to tackle SWM problems? It is not exception to Kalyan-Dombivli alone, rather it’s a common challenge to almost all major cities which needs to be dealt effectively. There is hardly a city in India that has devised a permanent and sustainable solution to SWM. The density of population is more in Kalyan-Dombivli and coupled with the standard of living, it is generating more solid waste. The city is developing along the tracks of railways because of which we are planning for sectorial SWM. Earlier, we had only one place to dispose of municipal waste but now we have decided to set up four to five plants in different locations, which will bring down expenses on transportation.

What are your plans for tackling the issue of water management? How has it emerged as a challenge? For Kalyan-Dombivli it is a massive issue, since it is situated on a creek. It is at a height of 4-5 metres from the mean sea level which makes it a flood prone zone. Under the schemes of the World Bank, we have constructed two-three big drainage. Under JNNURM scheme, we have built about 15 drains that have brought relief to us. We have adopted the same method to divert the storm water, so that it does not concentrate in the same drain.

What is the degree of viability of accomplishing smart city for Kalyan-Dombivli? This city is a dormitory town and we want to convert it into a self-sustainable, livable and affordable city. People here are law abiding citizens and there is no problem in revenue collection.

Kalyan-Dombivli is a dormitory town and we want to convert it into a self-sustainable and livable city. With the Government’s support, Kalyan-Dombivli will emerge as a smart city in next five years. When it comes to growth and development, we have strengthened many utility services

* Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL DR NARESH CHANDRA

Value Based Education must for a Smart City Kalyan-Dombivli has been a Commerce education hub and the Birla College has been granted “The College of Excellence” status by UGC and has secured 3.58 CGPA by NAAC. Dr Naresh Chandra, Principal of the College, talks about various achievements of the institution in a conversation with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN)

he first lady doctor was from Kalyan-Dombivli, and now it features in the list of 98 smart cities. What is your reaction?

“In today’s times, it has become imperative for a child to receive valuebased education from primary till higher education. The tenets of clean city, green city and disciplined city will be achieved only if we can create an ecosystem of value-based education system”

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We’ve always believed that any city or country can grow to the best of its abilities only through education. Education—be it primary, higher, traditional subjects or professional courses—alone can take a city forward. I am very happy that Kalyan-Dombivli has been selected to be developed into a smart city. It is a historic city and now we have to convert it into a modern city. The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has taken great initiatives, which has culminated into its selection. It was on account of various initiatives by the KDMC in the past few decades that so many institutions of higher education have emerged here. I am waiting to see Kalyan-Dombivli emerging as an education hub and students from all over the country and abroad come here and seek world-class education.

In your view, how much role will education play in elevating KalyanDombivli to a smart city? Education has a huge role to play there. In today’s times, it has become imperative for a child to receive value-based education from primary till higher education. The tenets of clean city, green city and disciplined city will be achieved only if we can create an ecosystem of value-based education system. Through education, we can reach out to each and every

person in the society. So, I am sure it will be a city which everybody will fall in love with.

What role can skill development play in building up of a smart city? In present times, skill development is very important and our Prime Minister has struck the right chord. The youth must have vocational, skill-based and employable education. In our college, we have started UGC-sponsored Diploma Course in Accounting and Taxation. Since this area is known as the hub of commerce education, it makes sense that a student pursues this course in order to become a better-serving citizen.

How is the Birla College contributing to the educational development of this area and where do you stand in that? Whatever I have achieved in life, I owe to Kalyan city. The Birla College has become part and parcel of Kalyan-Dombivli corporation. My college has about 9,500 students in Science, Commerce and Arts streams. The UGC has granted us, “The College of Excellence” status. Very few colleges in the country have this status. NAAC has also accredited us with Grade ‘A’ and CGPA of 3.58, which is also a significant very achievement. We don’t want to compromise with quality. There are several UGCsponsored initiatives, like Gandhian Study Centre, Woman Study Centre and Woman Development Centre, for the college. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL SUDHIR MAHAJAN

Citizens to be Supreme in

‘Smart City Panaji’ Plan Panaji, which means the land that never floods, had so far only terraced hills, concrete buildings with balconies and red-tiled roofs, churches and a riverside promenade. But now, the citizens will have all the elements that any modern city can boast of in terms of infrastructure. State’s Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Mahajan, in an interview with Manish Arora of Elets News Network (ENN), tells how the government has involved residents and others to elevate Panaji into a worldclass city

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KALYAN-DOMBIVLI SPECIAL SUDHIR MAHAJAN

hat are the objectives of Smart Cities Mission? The objectives of the Smart Cities Mission are to develop core infrastructure and provide a decent quality of life to the citizens residing in a specific city. There should be sustainable development, every citizen should be assured of 24x7 clean drinking water, a nice sewerage network, clean air, a sense of security and, above all, there should be focus on pedestrianisation and a multi-modal system of transport.

“As a necessary feature of a smart city, the citizenry has to be interactive… Some key people from the citizenry have already been engaged (through various activities). Our plan proposal mostly consists of the aspirations of the citizens”

What are some of the specifications in the roadmap for making Panaji a smart city? Since Panaji is a small place, with only 7 sq.km of area, its development can be strategised in two ways: one is areabased development and the second is a pan-city development. Since this is a very old city having a heritage character, area-based development could help better maintain the cultural heritage of the city. However, this mode of development can be replicated elsewhere, too. And, pan-city development could be in the form of finding smart solutions for transport arrangement like I said previously: things like multi-modal system of transport, focus on pedestrianisation, creation of open spaces, etc. This city has got complete package in terms of geographical versatility – water bodies, rivers, backwaters and the sea. So, all these areas need to be maintained properly. Zoning is to be done, so that an integrated development can take place. And, since the entire proposal has been submitted to the Government of India after extensive consultation with the residents of the city, a consensus has evolved as to how the city has to develop. How far is resident participation of the city important in this endeavour? As a necessary feature of a smart city, the citizenry has to be interactive. We should be in a position to provide e-governance, so that all the necessary services can be made available at the

people’s doorstep and one doesn’t have to move out anywhere. We want to provide all basic amenities — be it health, civic, etc., at the doorstep. The key people from the citizenry have already been involved. We have organised hotspots, conferences, meetings, interactive sessions, etc., for the purpose. It was a mammoth exercise that we undertook. Our plan proposal mostly consists of the aspirations of the citizens. “This city (Panaji) has got complete package in terms of geographical versatility – water bodies, rivers, backwaters and the sea. So, we have to be very cautious that no damage is caused to the environment due to developmental activities”

How would you take care of the environment in this project? From our past experiences, we have seen that with development gaining pace, the ecology of the place gets destroyed. So, ecosystem and environment are matters of great concern for us. Fortunately, in this city we have a lot of activists, who otherwise also happen to play the role of watchdogs. We have to be very cautious that no damage is caused to the environment while taking up developmental projects. Now that Panaji features in the second list of the Government of India’s Smart Cities list, what would be the next step? The next step is that we will form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which will ensure that the plans already been submitted to the Government of India are executed in proper way. SPV will consist of government officials and experts from respective fields. We will hold meetings for finalising various projects and work towards their implementation at various levels. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW ASHOK JAIN

Ease of Doing Business Fuels Rajasthanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Growth A lot of efforts are being made to make various urban clusters of Rajasthan, a world-class habitation both for the residents and the tourists. In this regard, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development & Housing, Rajasthan, Ashok Jain enumerates the initiatives undertaken by the government and the way forward in a conversation with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN)

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW ASHOK JAIN

hat all major initiatives have been undertaken towards urbanisation of Rajasthan? We have various policies in place to ensure rapid development. We have got building by-laws for urban bodies. Township policies are of two types— above 10 hectares and below 10 hectares. That apart, we have master plans prepared for all towns. We have National Capital Region (NCR) in Rajasthan comprising the districts of Alwar and Bharatpur. We have prepared the master plan for Alwar as per the NCR directives and for Bharatpur it is in the making. We have policies like ‘Chief Minister’s Jan Awas Yojana’ which is towards implementation of ‘Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana’ of the Centre. Government has policies for land allotment for various investment purposes including urban infrastructure, industry, universities and medical facilities among others. Since the launch of these policies in September, 2015 they have evoked stupendous interest among the community of stakeholders from all sections of life. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the vendors since we lead in implementing affordable housing for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Lower Income Group (LIG).

Rajasthan Investment Promotion Board (RIPB) was established in 2014 to incentivise investors who invest in Rajasthan that helps in creating new jobs. If the investment is above `100 crore, we offer customised package which is decided by the Cabinet

How would you elaborate on the Rajasthan Government’s efforts of wooing investors? We have Rajasthan Investment Promotion Board (RIPB) which was established in 2014 to incentivise investors who invest in the state that helps in creating new jobs. If the investment is above Rs 100 crore, we offer customised package which is decided by the Cabinet. Through our summit “Resurgent Rajasthan” we invite companies to come and invest here. The last summit was held in November 2015 wherein they signed many agreements with various departments including Urban Development (UD). With UD alone, they have signed 56 Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) in various projects, costing over `30,000 crore. Currently, we are engaged in implementing

the projects and processes as facilitators. If they are stuck up at any process, we intervene and resolve the issue. Jaipur is already developed by all parameters. What are your plans to develop other cities at par with the state capital? Around Alwar there is also Rewari and Neemrana which are also fast developing in terms of investments, industrial development and real estate. That region has now been curved out as another autonomous body called Bhiwadi Industrial Development Authority (BIDA). Special Investment Region (SIR) Act has been passed by the State Government to execute plans. After the formation of BIDA, the region has received undivided attention of the investors and stakeholders. Does it result in an ease of operation in clubbing the Urban Development and Housing as one department whereas many states have two separate departments for that? There are two major departments dealing with the UD, one is the local self government and the other is Urban Development and Housing (UD&H). The division of work between the two of them is very clear and their performance is looked after by the same ministry. The coordination among them is of the highest level. Any overlap is sorted out swiftly. Kindly give a message to the industrial community keen to invest in Rajasthan? If the interested party is new to Rajasthan then they should visit and hear the success stories of their predecessors. It is only after self verification by the industries, they will generate confidence in the bureaucracy’s cooperation towards implementing the investor’s proposals. Moreover, we have encouraging policies in place which are not limited to paper but also deliver in action. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW

VIPIN TYAGI

BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY CALLS FOR

SKILLED MANPOWER Widespread broadband penetration is the need of the hour in both urban and rural areas. For ensuring effective implementation of technology, skilled manpower is required at every level, keeping in mind the ever-rising need of Internet penetration, says Vipin Tyagi, Executive Director, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN)Excerpts:

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VIPIN TYAGI SPECIAL INTERVIEW

efficient in handling hardware and software, bold designers, testers, etc., so that you can create something. Then you need a second breed of people who can actually think what has to be done. They come out with business modules, how the services are going to be offered and the overall scenario. Then you require another set of people to understand the implication of the whole thing. So, whether ICT will propel India into a leadership position or not, at least I see a distinct possibility. In order to transform it into reality, it is very important to look at all the above aspects which I call envision, implement and see the impact. If there are roadblocks like non-cooperation, unfavourable policies, manufacturers not accomplishing targets, etc., only then we will blow it off.

As far as C-DOT is concerned, what is your role in initiatives like Digital India?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Infrastructure has to be created taking a holistic view and sometimes it will not have immediate returns as the urban area has to pay keeping in view the economic parity. For long-term benefits, the system has to be created in such a way so that it can connect with every unconnected entity in the systemâ&#x20AC;?

o you think technology and IT are a boon for India, especially when everything is moving away from traditional platform to digital platform?

Anything which is new has two sides and technology is no exception. On one hand, it gives you opportunity for setting a benchmark in what you are doing and participating into, thus becoming a part of change. Leaders become trailblazers, laggards become front runners and this happens only during change. Considering the times that we are living in, I think the whole country has the potential to be a leader. So the technological changes that are happening around the world require some fundamental changes. For any new technology to take effective space, we need a lot of skilled manpower

Telecommunication is one of the fastest growing areas and it is ever expanding in terms of data traffic and also new applications are coming along. Consequently, there is a need for somebody to innovate, writing research papers, writing the patents, giving the trademarks but actually giving it back to the society so that the youngsters can be engaged in meaningful deployment. C-DOT is a powerhouse of technology, as we have wireless technologies, optic fibre cable (OFC) based broadband technology which we have pushed up to take 1 terabyte per OFC. We push the wavelength so that each wavelength has 100 gigabyte. My vision is that we need to have India as a gigabyte nation. For that you need large scale of technological changes because India is a country with a large population, our environmental conditions are different, and we have highly energetic people who want to fulfill their requirements in real time. All of these provide breeding grounds for us to push through these technical

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW

VIPIN TYAGI

THE TECH CONNECT Where the survival is the question and where the fundamental needs are the question, that is where the whole urbanisation issue begins and we have to connect technology in order to solve that. Smart cities are for smart people allowing co-existence and allowing them to be who they are innovations. C-DOT has installed fibre-based broadband in residential buildings, campuses, offices and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). We are now trying to increase Wi-Fi penetration in remote locations. For that, we will increase the range to 20 km and we have built in solar panels.

Given the demography we have, is the gigabyte concept a viable option, especially in the rural areas? Rural India needs much more attention and better penetration in terms of data connectivity now more than ever. Imagine that there is a state of emergency and you need to consult a doctor, what will happen? So, the perspective of looking at things will have to change. It is sad that we have not started to look at things yet. The entire wealth of the nation traditionally and till now has been given by the rural India. Take the fashion industry for example. Do you think that it is driven by urban areas? The clothes are made in villages; the stitching happens there, the fine work happens there, so the perception

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that fashion industry belongs to western countries is not true. Infrastructure has to be created taking a holistic view and sometimes it may not yield immediate returns. For longterm benefits, the system has to be created in a way so as to connect every unconnected entity in the system.

What are the programmes and initiatives that you have taken? One is that we have mastered the art in broadband technology; we have almost all portfolios of broadband. If you want to give connectivity both at large and small scale, you don’t have to go out of the country. We’ve done till now 50 technology transfers and in fact one of them will be entering villages now. A small device with as low as 10-15 watt work on solar and gives 400 MB/s connectivity, television, telephone, fax, four connections on wi-fi, all in just `7,000. It is a big myth that we cannot compete with China. Despite having labour available at such cheap cost, why are our prices high? If we talk in terms of digging the earth, then we may have lack of resource there. C-DOT is the term given to build the technology and give it back to the youth of the country. There are so many concepts that have to be kept in mind before embarking on a smart city. Once I saw a man carrying two gunny bags with his wife and children and the caption was “new migrants” to the city of Delhi. So, urbanisation problems are at different strata. We need to think on how we can create vibrant, dynamic IT-based systems that can bring down costs and take care of all kinds of people and facilitate their existence. Where the survival is the question and where the fundamental needs are the question, that is where the whole urbanisation issue begins and we have to connect technology in order to solve that. Smart cities are for smart people allowing co-existence and allowing them to be who they are. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW S K MARWAHA

Electronics Manufacturing

Braving the Odds

The demand for electronics is growing exponentially in India and is expected to reach $400 billion annually. But if the imports are not reduced, the country will be able to reach barely a capacity of $100 billion, says S K Marwaha, Director & Scientist â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Department of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India, in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN). According to him, one of the key components for consolidating the manufacturing ecosystem is to produce all the electronic devices and goods keeping in mind the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Excerpts:

hat are the major constraints that the industry is facing? The major constraint is the information technology agreement. Basic customs duty is a protection to the industry, and in the absence of that, we have to compete globally. With so many disabilities in our manufacturing ecosystem, we are unable to provide a level playing field even with our neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Thailand. The disabilities that currently exist in our manufacturing ecosystem are power, finance, rates of finance, the supply chain, etc. For example, in supply chain, there is hardly any component manufacturer left now. There are high transaction costs which are practically non-existent in our neighbouring countries, even in China. So, all of that is making our industry uncompetitive in a zero-duty environment. Automobile industry did not face zero duty and to accentuate the prob-

40 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

lem, we have entered into free trade agreement (FTA) with several countries, such as Thailand, Korea, Japan and Russia, where those articles are also covered which do not have any IT agreement like consumer electronics and medical electronics. However, we have not signed the ITA II which is the expanded version of ITA. Many countries got together in the WTO and proposed an expansion notice to include more items in the ITA which we did not sign. So, for at least those products, the duty protection continues else they would also have met the same fate. But the damage has been done, many units have been shut down and manufacturers have turned to traders. Now we have new policies, which is a kind of new sunshine, even in the challenge of zero duty. How can the manufacturer be insulated in such conditions? What we are doing is compensating

SPECIAL INTERVIEW S K MARWAHA

“We have to promote both “Make in India” and “Design in India”. Replicating China is not what we are aiming at; they are volumecentric keeping in view the export market and it is very difficult to compete with them”

the disabilities for which we have put in place modified special incentive where we are giving a capex subsidy of 25 per cent. For example, if a mobile phone manufacturer invests `10 crore in a year then we are giving them back `2.5 crore the following year. In case the manufacturing unit is set up in a special economic zone (SEZ) where you already receive certain benefits, then the capex subsidy is 20 per cent. Already, the government has received 195 proposals under the scheme amounting to `1,20,000 crores and we hope that in the coming years these proposals actually fructify into investments. Actually this scheme was there in 2012, but was modified in 2015 and has been extended by another five years till July 2020. Besides infrastructure disabilities, we have put into place electronic manufacturing clusters. There we are supporting both green and brown field clusters. In greenfield projects, we are trying to co-locate the ancillaries along with the principal manufacturer which will reduce the cost of production, thereby seeping the benefits directly to the consumer. That’s what they did in China. There, we are giving a grant of Rs 50 crore per 100 acres of land limited to 50 per cent of the project cost. Are there any significant interests on the part of state governments? What is there in store for the indigenous manufacturers? The state governments are enthusiastic about it. So far 44 applications have already come in from 18 states. Naturally, it will take time since everything has to be done from scratch. We have come up with another concept called brownfield clusters wherein an existing agglomeration can come up with proposals to set up common facilities. This will also be beneficial as the government chips in 75 per cent for common facilities. Once the project report is submitted, the government supports up to 75 per cent of the cost to the extent of `50 crore per project. Another scheme for promoting manufacturing is the policy for pro-

viding preference to domestically manufactured electronics. If you manufacture in India and fulfill specified domestic value addition and technical specifications, then irrespective of the country of origin, you will get half of the order. We are also supporting high-end manpower like industry-specific research scholars. We are supporting 3,000 PhDs till 2020, and these PhDs will be in areas identified by the industry. We were trying to promote set top boxes in a big way. All tariff and other bottlenecks were removed. By 2016, the entire country will be digitised. How is Make in India accelerating? We have to promote both “Make in India” and “Design in India”. Replicating China is not what we are aiming at, at this moment. They are volume-centric keeping in view the export market and it is very difficult to compete with them. So we want to create our own unique product line and see wherever we can be competitive. There are emerging opportunities in mobile and tablets. The local company which manufactures here will only pay 2 per cent excise and if they import they will have to pay countervailing duty of 12.5 per cent. In the past one year, more than 20 units have come up. The production of mobile has gone up from 6 crore to 11 crore. What is the way ahead? From next year, we are planning to exclude the mechanical parts for mobile so that people start manufacturing it. In 2018, we will probably exclude the camera module and display to ultimately provide the benefits to those indigenous assemblers who will buy locally. So by 2020, I am hoping something good will happen otherwise it will be impossible to sustain. With our ability in software and the spirit of entrepreneurship our youth has, we can create and promote our own line of innovative products. * Transcribed by Shambhudeep Hore of ENN

JULY 2016 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

SPECIAL INTERVIEW GYANESH PANDEY Model of the SS Block-Safdarjung Hospital being developed with consultancy from HSCC (India) Ltd

HSCC, Govt Join Hands for

World-Class Health Infrastructure in Goa The Government of Goa is trying its best to build up a world-class hospital facility and we are part of that process, says Gyanesh Pandey, Chairman & Managing Director, HSCC (India) Ltd, in an interaction with Souvik Goswami of Elets News Network (ENN)

42 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

SPECIAL INTERVIEW GYANESH PANDEY

hat has been the extent of expansion of HSCC (India) Ltd in the recent past and what role has IT has played in it? We have been expanding our organisation in various areas in the recent years. We started off with the expansion of the maintenance field of the hospitals. Then we went for the expansion of our human resource segment for specialised service areas, like waste management, operation theatres, ICU, etc. Now we are carrying out these specialised activities using state-of-the-art techniques. The biggest expansion we have done in last three years is in the field of IT. Technology is now an integral part of the overall healthcare project. OPD in AIIMS in New Delhi is an example of this. Entire crowd management is being done there with the help of IT. At present, we are engaged with 25 large hospitals, including the redevelopment project of the Safdarjung Hospital, and

“Effective education and healthcare will be important elements of a smart city. According to me, we should create a (healthcare) system where we can ensure that any symptom in a human body can be recorded in a nearby hospital in a smarter city…”

in all these projects IT is playing a pivotal role. In Safdarjung Hospital, 1,300 new beds have been added and the Super Specialty and Emergency Blocks run completely on paperless system. Soon, Radio Information Detection System will be implemented at the Safdarjung Hospital. It means a band will be given to a patient to track his movement. This will help us in tracking any object moving within a hospital. In next six months, this will be implemented. It is going to be replicated in other hospitals also in coming years. We have also proposed to connect AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital through IT. That way, we have made effective expansion in the last three-four years and in that expansion, IT has played an important part.

healthcare system in smart cities. A smart hospital in a smart city should be ready with complete records of any patient since the moment he/she steps into the hospital. That for me is the true Smart Healthcare System.

Shed some light on Biosafety Level Labs, which all are being made by HSCC. We are also making expansions in the area of Biosafety Level (BSL) Labs. There are four types of BSL labs. BSL-3 Lab which is a highly sophisticated lab deals with known viruses, but BSL-4 Lab deals with unknown viruses, which is the most sophisticated and most dificult to make. The HSCC (India) Ltd is the only organisation in India, which has made BSL-4 Lab in the country. It requires highly specialised technique. We will be making more and more BSL-4 Labs. It required huge investment, too. We are also expanding in terms of specialised manpower.

Can you brief us about the HSCC’s international operations? We have completed projects in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bhutan. These are the neighboring countries of India, where we are focusing in terms of providing quality healthcare infrastructure. We feel that the hospitals being made in Sri Lanka and Nepal are going to be one of the best that India is providing them through HSCC. We would also like to enter European and the US markets. We will definitely try to design some of Indian healthcare systems, which are not available there, like Yoga centers, Ayush, Homeopathy centers, etc.

What is your take on the importance of Smart Healthcare for smart cities? It is very important and I think, IoT is going to play a major role in a smart city ecosystem. Effective education and healthcare will be important elements of a smart city. According to me, we should create a (healthcare) system where we can ensure that any symptom in a human body can be recorded in a nearby hospital in a smarter city…and IoT will be the tool to see this happen. This will be the differentiator between a general healthcare system and a smart

What is the significance of Goa for HSCC’s expansion in the coming years? Goa is an international tourist destination. Many people from the world over visit this place. So, Goa needs more and more world-class hospital facilities. HSCC will be building a super specialty hospital with the help of both Government of India and Government of Goa. The Goa Government is trying its best to build a world-class hospital facility, and we are part of it.

As the Chairman & Managing Director of HSCC (India) Ltd, where do you want to see your organisation in the next 10 years? I want HSCC to build a hospital which is unique in true sense. A hospital equipped with technology that can address the problems of patients the moment they enter the hospital. Apart from that, HSCC should be one of the largest consultants in the world in terms of providing quality delivery. We are working hard to that end. I want to see HSSC as the world’s largest healthcare consultant.

JULY 2016 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

BFSI

SKV SRINIVASAN

DIGITAL BANKING FOR

CUSTOMER DELIGHT The banking ecosystem in India is going through a major transformation with the government taking steps to get the unbanked and underbanked population under the banking networks. This is augmented by various banks proposing new schemes to benefit its existing set of cutomers, along with attracting new ones. IDBI Bank is one such stakeholder that is reinventing itself to stand out as a customer-centric Â entity, says Â S K V Srinivasan, Executive Director, IDBI Bank, in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN)

44 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

SKV SRINIVASAN BFSI

ith the advent of smarter mobile devices, the omni-channel banking is bringing digital channels into bank branches, customer homes, and places of business. How IDBI is transforming the world of payments and commerce? The impetus of IDBI Bank has always been to offer innovative digital banking products and services. The bank has recently launched its mobile-based payment wallet “PayApt”. We have also launched a unique mobile-based card control App “Abhay”, which gives instant access to block/unblock the customers cards. This is a very unique offering in the industry. Our social media remittance facility is also on anvil. Our M-passbook and IMPS through Internet banking facility will be offered very shortly. All loan-related transactions including credit and debit advices and EMI reminders would be offered on a mobile platform.

How much penetration has IDBI made into the digital payment space? How do you encourage your customers to adopt mobile payments? IDBI Bank is poised to migrate majority of its customer transactions to digital channels. Currently, approximately 70 per cent of bank’s transactions are done through digital channels including ATMs. We have done a survey on typical activities centred around retail customers at the branch and have planned to offer all these services across multichannels in a secured environment - Internet, mobile, ATM and POS. Remittance which includes payments, deposits and withdrawals, investments and trading settlement both cash and securities - are the areas engaging our attention today. We would ensure easy interface with mobile apps. We are working on loan application and tracking through mobile device. We are populating more bulk note acceptors at the branches and also more self-service kiosks christened as e-lounges at hightransaction volume branches to drive business through alternate channels.

Customer incentivisation is increasingly being used as a lever to drive mobile payments adoption and to have deeper relationships with customers. Bank also leverages on cross-industry strategic alliances to provide additional customer value in the form of more merchant discounts and offers to boost the usage of mobile payments.

Do you think the country can cut down its dependence on cash given the way cash continues to be the prime medium of transaction today? India is a cash-intensive economy with it being a preferred and dominant mode of carrying out transactions. Partly, this is due to the fact that a large segment of population remained unbanked/ underbanked till very recently. Even today over 95 per cent of retail transactions happens in cash and we have large presence of offline retailers. Hence, it will take time to actually feel the impact of mobile payment solutions even as digital payment is at cusp of another revolution called united payment interface (UPI), which will make transfer of money as simple as text messaging. The Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhar, Mobile numbers (JAM) initiative of the government which will push all government payments to people through bank accounts and cash delivery through POS at customer place will largely initiate the move to get unbanked customers both in rural and urban areas into the ambit of electronic banking. Incentives, such as tax breaks for consumers and merchants using credit/ debit cards, lower transaction fees for electronic payments, making highvalue transactions mandatory through electronic means and imposing a levy on cash payments above a certain value etc., will also aid in shifting from cashbased economy to a cashless economy. The advent of mobile payment wallets, payment banks, net banking, mobile banking etc. have ensured that a robust payments infrastructure is in place for enabling payment through digital channels. Thus, India can and will move

The advent of mobile payment wallets, payment banks, net banking, mobile banking have ensured that a robust payments infrastructure is in place for enabling payment through digital channels. Thus, India can and will move gradually towards being a less cashintensive economy over a period of next five years

JULY 2016 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

BFSI

SKV SRINIVASAN

gradually towards being a less cashintensive economy over a period of next five years.

IDBI Bank has become the first state-run lender to open an international banking unit (IBU) at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT). How will this IFSC unit enhance the bank’s global financing business?

India is blessed with talented workforce and IFSC would benefit from this talent pool. To make India’s growth story a reality, it would require a lot of global capital inflow into the country in the coming years

46 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

Through the GIFT IFSC Banking Unit (IBU), IDBI Bank aims to foster greater trade and crossborder transactions between India and rest of the world. IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) set-up within the IFSC at GIFT City is our country’s first International financial hub, being set up on par with Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. This international financial centre would facilitate raising of foreign currency resources from global markets via equity, debt or composite structures across various maturity and currencies. Prior to the GIFT IFSC, overseas Indian ventures would tap Dubai or Singapore markets for its financial requirements. The GIFT IFSC would become a global hub enabling ease in flow of capital governed by the global regulatory standards. India is blessed with talented workforce and IFSC would benefit from this talent pool. To make India’s growth story a reality, it would require a lot of global capital inflow into the country in the coming years. This first IFSC of the country is therefore well positioned to get the talent into the centre and generate billions of foreign exchange business for the country. The GIFT IFSC is closer to Indian clients than Dubai, London or Singapore and therefore GIFT IFSC will be a preferred destination for raising resources by Indian promoted

overseas entities located across the globe, which may be joint ventures or wholly owned subsidiaries or part of the value chain of its existing customers. The GIFT IBU will actively offer products such as foreign currency (FC) loans to overseas corporate customers, external commercial borrowings to corporate customers in India, trade finance and treasury business to its global customers and help the bank in achieving its overseas business targets and expand its global footprint. We are a significant player in the corporate business with syndication and appraisal capabilities. We will certainly benefit from the opportunities arising in the GIFT IBU.

IDBI Bank is undergoing major technology upgradation and business process re-engineering. How will it improve the efficiency and performance of the bank? With the revolution in Information & Communication Technology (ICT), banks have been increasingly leveraging IT solutions to enhance their performance, productivity and efficiency. The shift towards digitisation of processes entails business process re-engineering (BPR) in order to derive optimum benefits of technology upgradation. Accordingly, we have adopted a system of BPR wherein we are evolving our business processes, delivery models and information-processing systems to take full benefit of technology upgradation. We are revamping the processes to yield benefits to all our stakeholders by increasing the use of IT solutions and prioritising and resolving internal policy issues. We are planning to upgrade our Core Banking Software (CBS), Internet banking portal, mobile banking services, among others. Furthermore, we are planning to have a robust integrated Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW)/ data analytics for gaining insights into customer requirements and cater to the requirements in a customised manner. Our aim would be to reduce the intermediation cost substantially through the use of technology.

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CORPORATE SIDDHARTH BHATTACHARYA

KODAK ALARIS: HELPING

INDIA HERALD DIGITAL AGE The phenomenon of digitisation is gradually covering every sector in India, thanks to the rising technological innovations happening at a global level. In line with the trend, Kodak Alaris provides digitisation-based solutions to the government and the private sector; thus, easing their areas of operations, says Siddharth Bhattacharya, Vice President, Global Marketing, Kodak Alaris, in an interview with Poulami Chakraborty of Elets News Network (ENN). Excerpts:

JULY 2016 2016 50 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / June

SIDDHARTH BHATTACHARYA CORPORATE

an you share about the background of Kodak Alaris and its presence in India?

Our journey started in 1990, when digitisation started making its presence felt in the Indian market, and people learned to convert paper documents into digital images and started storing those in computer discs, unlike the previous practice of storing print documents. So, we started off with a new product range called document scanners. In the first decade, between 1990 and 2000, large-scale operations took place. We got associated with the Registrar General of India in the year 2000 in a very big way by becoming a dominant partner by producing scanners and that really marked the footfall of Kodak Alaris in India. The second decade of our journey witnessed various enterprises joining the digitisation wave. Today, a number of enterprises are providing digitised solutions to sectors like Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Healthcare, Education, Retail, Logistics, etc.

The third and ongoing decade from 2010 till now has actually seen the transformation from digitisation to information management. There are two broad components of digitisation – enterprise content management and customer experience management. Kodak Alaris is the only company across the globe that deals professionally with expertise on information management and stands out from the pack. In India most high-end organisations are our customers, including private and public

sector banks and healthcare industry. We are virtually a two-year old company because of some restructuring of the organisation, which made us a whole new entity with the name of Kodak Alaris India Pvt Ltd.

What was the idea behind the launch of ‘Kodak Alaris Yatra 2016’? The key goal of Yatra is to connect end user community with other range of products. Since we are only selling end-to-end solutions, it’s technically not easy to sell this and we have to make sure that everybody understands its implementation. So, what we conducted a campaign in 14 tier-I and tier-II cities wherein we showcased our product capability and our service capability and then derived what were the possible opportunities out of it. So, the idea behind Yatra is to cultivate a dedicated set of partners who would be able to co-operate and eventualise our products.

What are the industries Yatra will be catering to? Well, it’s not only Yatra but the whole range of our products we are aiming for. One of the key focus industries would be the BFSI sector because all over the world, more advanced solutions and refined implementation solutions happen first in the BFSI sector, including in India. This segment started in early 90s with branch enterprisation and core banking, along with cloud data analytics, which is why it’s one of the focus areas for us. Then the second focus industry would be the government sector because it also uses information management solutions to achieve the goal of better governance. For the last two years, we are supporting the Digital India campaign of the Government of India and with the start of it, we defined 31 mission mode areas which the

“For the last two years, we are supporting the Digital India campaign of the Government of India and have defined 31 mission mode areas, which the government would be looking after, like better services for filing income tax returns and getting a passport quicker, among others”

JULY 2016 / June egov.eletsonline.com 2016 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov / egov

CORPORATE SIDDHARTH BHATTACHARYA

government would be looking after, like better services to the citizen for filing income tax returns, get a passport in quickly, better service to citizen to get their land authority copy and so on. So, the opportunity and eventual goal in this sector is very large. Our estimate is that with India driving its governance largely

of it and these centres help them to effectively leverage their investments in the core ERP and IT investments and every single piece of information is available in minutes on their computers. The fourth area is the healthcare sector, so whether it is government or private sector, there is a large amount of investment in this particular sector. The whole objective is to provide better services to citizens, be it in public hospital or a private one. Therein, we also need to ensure that proper records are maintained like medicine records, path lab reports and diagnostics reports.

With the Central Government announcing the Digital India mission, how do you see digital document evolving?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the right time (to associate with the government) for business like ours when there is a growing consciousness in the government in a way to move forward to provide better governance and better services through digitalisation and informationâ&#x20AC;?

52 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

on papers, the scope for information management is large and we work very closely with e-codes wherein all the old records are digitised. Today, if we take an example of a judge, he can see digital images of all previous proceedings on his desktop and can cut short his/her time to make the final judgment. We are working with high courts in Mumbai, Delhi, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana and some other states. So it is basically a second focus area for us. Third would be the manufacturing space and we are looking after huge amounts of investments in this segment. In India, manufacturing is driven majorly by foreign investments with lots of MNCs being part of it wherein they not only have a manufacturing plant but shared service centres and global shared service service centres to assist manufacturing plants in India and abroad. So, digitisation is at the heart

This is the right time for business like ours when there is a growing consciousness in the government in a way to move forward to provide better governance and better services through digitalisation and information. A lot of security aspects are being considered so there is growing awareness about digital preservation. We have also got associated with C-DAC which sets the standards for digitisation of government across the country. We shared the technology which we can enable in it with them. The second aspect is at the grassroot level in the final implementation of eGovernance and what ease and thickness it can provide to the citizens of our country. If you take an example of a college student who wants to apply for a scholarship, he has to get a caste certificate. Ten years back, it was probably unheard that we can get certificate digitally through eGovernance. As far the as the corporate sector is concerned, we are strengthening the BFSI sector. We are seeing different ways in which our own product can be used in banks. For example, various banks use our software for multichannel classification of complaints they are getting from the customers and if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t respond quickly, they might turn up to some other options available.

ANAND RAMACHANDRAN TECHPROCESS

STRIVING TO BE THE LARGEST

e-PAYMENTS PLATFORM

Anand Ramachandran, Chief Finance Officer, TechProcess Payment Services Ltd throws light on how the firm has evolved itself to become country’s second biggest e-payments platform. Ramachandran also talks about the company’s strategy to expand its presence in India, its USP and latest innovations with Poulami Chakraborty of Elets News Network (ENN)

indly take us through TechProcess journey in Indian market.

TechProcess Payment Services Limited has come a long way ever since it commenced its journey in the year 2000 to now become India’s second largest

e-payments platform. With the idea to aggregate payments in utility and other sectors, BillJunction Payments Ltd, a start up incubated in ICICI Ventures in 2000, was established as India’s first bill payment platform. The year 2004 witnessed the next wave of transformation with the company

JULY 2016 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

TECHPROCESS ANAND RAMACHANDRAN

pioneering payment services such as standing instructions, recurring payments, offline payments, assured payments to be delivered under an Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) platform. In 2007, with a focus on creating technology platforms for processing payments across different industries, BillJunction was rechristened as TechProcess Payment Solutions. In 2008, TechProcess made a strategic acquisition of Talisman & Checkmate—a cheque processing company. Besides hiring exciting new talent and right-sizing the workforce, the biggest transformation is from a back-end payments aggregator to ‘mobile first’.

How do you perceive the brand’s presence in Indian market? TechProcess has established itself as one of the most preferred partners of the BFSI sector in India. It can be gauged by the fact that we hold more than 50 per cent market share in the recurring payments. Unlike the fly-by-night operators in this industry, TechProcess is committed towards industry relevance. The core focus of the company is perceived as a company that provides customised solutions to solve business challenges.

TechProcess has embarked on one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the RBI. The company has received an in-principle approval for the Bharat Bill Payments Operations Unit. TechProcess has established itself as one of the most preferred partners of the BFSI sector in India 54 egov / egov.eletsonline.com / JULY 2016

What is the key unique value proposition (USP) on which TechProcess vouches on to convince end consumers in the highly competitive Indian market? We believe that the USP offered by Paynimo is serving as a pull factor to our business interests. Apart from directly on-boarding merchants, leading banks are using our platform to acquire merchants and in the last few months we have been able to enable 40,000 such merchants coming on board platform through our channel partners through direct as well as white-label platform and service provision.

What are the latest innovations that TechProcess is contemplating to launch? TechProcess is embarking on one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by

Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The company has received an in-principle approval for the Bharat Bill Payments Operations Unit. With the legacy of 15 years in the Bill Payments industry, TechProcess is one of the frontrunners to receive this in-principle approval from the RBI and we should be able to run a pilot by Juneend. The Bharat Bill Payments Operating Unit (BBPOU) aims at easing out the pain points in Bill Payments pertaining to utility, education, municipality taxes, mutual funds, insurance premiums, etc.

Did you face any challenge while working in Indian market? We have been in the business for the past 15 years. We have not had significant challenges in terms of partnership with banks and organisations. Our solutionfocused approach towards the industry has helped us to gain more traction. However, there is low consumer awareness in terms of choosing the right mobile wallets and digital payment modes.

What is your view on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) launched by National Payments Corporation of India recently? The UPI is at a nascent stage and we need to have more clarity about it when it comes to refunds, peer-to-peer transactions and interoperability of the platform. UPI would force consumers to create a new alias which means the hassle of remembering another ID and password.

Digital India initiative announced by the Centre is targeted to be completed till 2019. What is your readiness and strategy to work in lines with the same? Digital India campaign is a great step towards building the infrastructure that will facilitate e-payments. RBI and Central Government are taking a lot of initiatives to promote ‘Cashless Economy’ and ‘Digital India. Both these initiatives definitely augur well for our business model, which is strongly focused on fulfillment of e-payment transactions and giving consistent end user experience.

SPECIAL INTERVIEW DR A K MANOCHA

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd

Excellence on Track The average daily sale of train tickets through the IRCTC portal, which is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second-busiest with 3 crore registered users, is around 5.5 to 6 lakh. The portal has been able to book a record 14,904 tickets per minute, says Dr A K Manocha, Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN)

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW DR A K MANOCHA

H “It (IRCTC) manages the complete domestic ticket bookings for the Indian Railways, provides airline bookings, hotel bookings as well as other ancillary services for the passengers and is one of the key pillars for driving tourism in India”

ow would you define IRCTC as a service provider? IRCTC is India’s largest e-commerce and e-ticketing corporation and provides end-to-end travel solutions for domestic as well as international travellers. It manages the complete domestic ticket bookings for the Indian Railways, provides airline bookings, hotel bookings as well as other ancillary services for the passengers and is one of the key pillars for driving tourism in India. India, with its vast frontiers and overall cultural as well as historical diversity, offers international passengers a unique destination for holidaying, and IRCTC works as a catalyst in promoting tourism and thus contributing to the country’s economy. How has been the response of online booking of travel, hospitality, tourism and catering services through IRCTC? IRCTC is the largest travel website in the entire Asia-Pacific region in terms of transaction volume (15-18 million per month) and it is among the most visited sites in India. It provides a full range of travel, hospitality, tourism and

catering services to rail passengers. IRCTC user base currently stands at 4.25 crore with around 15,000 users being added every day. On a daily basis, IRCTC website gets around 15 crores hits and more than 30,000 bookings take place through the IRCTC mobile app. Internet ticketing through IRCTC website has progressively increased over the years and its share in the total reserved tickets has also increased. Today, 59 per cent of reserved tickets for the Indian Railways are booked online. Internet ticketing on IRCTC was started in year 2002 with 27 tickets on the first day, which has now increased to more than 13 lakh tickets booked in a single day (achieved on 01/04/2015). IRCTC clocked a turnover of Rs 1,140 crore in 2014-15, which is likely to increase to `1,500 crore in 201516. We expect 15-20 per cent growth in turnover for the next five years. The average daily sale of train tickets through the IRCTC portal, which is the world’s second busiest with 3 crore registered users, is around 5.5 to 6 lakh. It has registered a record 14,904 tickets per minute. We expect a significant rise in online ticket booking with the launch of e-wallet. We carried out online ticket booking at Taj Mahal in Agra and Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. IRCTC has partnered with Oyo Rooms and ZoopIndia to offer hotels booking and eCatering services, respectively. How will it change the overall user experience? IRCTC has partnered with companies like Oyo rooms, ZoopIndia, Haldiram, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Dabur etc., and we are affirmative that their appointment will help us provide a more memorable and indulging experience to our users. We have tied up with Oyo Rooms to offer comfortable rooms and a useful booking platform to rail travellers. We are committed to driving efficiencies and enhance our services through innovation. This partnership contributes another chapter to the successful

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW DR A K MANOCHA

“IRCTC is the largest travel website in the entire Asia-Pacific region in terms of transaction volume (15-18 million per month) and it is among the most visited sites in India. It provides a full range of travel, hospitality, tourism and catering services to rail passengers”

narrative of ‘Make in India’ initiatives and how tech-enabled solutions will power the next wave of innovation. We have made the necessary technology integrations and will be actively communicating about these newly available options through e-mailers and information on e-tickets, so that our travellers can explore and utilise these services. IRCTC-Oyo Rooms will offer about 45,000 hotel rooms. We have also partnered with ZoopIndia as one of our official food aggregator for ordering food during train journeys. We aim to reform the food catering in the Indian Railways by introducing advanced technologies and systems. Since we are always looking forward to offering our customers a delightful experience, appointing ZoopIndia as food aggregator is a step forward in the same direction. It has been our constant effort to broaden our e-catering facility, which would enable consumers to order from a variety of cuisine options. In the new age, we have to offer passengers with novel food options. We are booking almost 4,000 meals per day while it was just 60-70 meals just two months back before the budget was announced by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. It has grown up by almost 70 times. Our minister believes working on a digital platform, hence he has set a target of one lakh. For an ordinary caterer, serving one lakh meals is not an easy task. Serving hot meals in

the running trains is a very tough and challenging task, so we are looking for more vendors who can meet this challenge. Our e-catering website remains open round-the-clock and every month, and we are getting more and more empanelment. How many retiring rooms have been upgraded into executive lounges and which all cities are being targeted for this? We are already doing booking of retiring rooms at 500 locations and moving towards 1,500 retiring rooms through internet. IRCTC is also under process of opening executive lounges at railway stations which are of international standards. We have invited bids for 18 cities and the tender will be opening soon. Nine have already been tendered and three have already started working in New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We have launched executive lounges at Agra Cantt Station to provide airport lounge-like facilities to train passengers at an affordable rate. It has set a new precedent in rail travel, bringing together a bouquet of international standard facilities and services for the travellers. We will shortly launch more executive lounges at Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Howrah, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Jammu. Our classic and of course best model is at Katra, Vaishno Devi.

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW DR A K MANOCHA

Our super luxury train, Maharajas’ Express, is rated among top five most luxurious trains in the world. What is the current status of IRCTC’s e-ticketing through mobile apps on Android and iOS, and your proposed ticketing solution for Air India? Our mobile app is hugely popular. On existing website, we get large number of reservations, but since we are moving towards new generation technology at CRIS website, we will be introducing our upgraded new-generation Androidbased rail ticketing app around Julyend this year. It will be much faster. We

are in touch with CRIS. A lot of issues have been resolved and we hope that we should be able to launch Android app. Another 80 per cent people, who have been waiting for the new Android app, will be able to access it by July. We will also be introducing a dedicated app for airline bookings soon. As far as our alliance with Air India is concerned, we will soon sign a comprehensive MoU. Air India will sell IRCTC’s tickets abroad and also tourist packages. On our part, we will sell air tickets and make hotel bookings for Air India and others. The Indian Railways is planning to provide video conferencing facility at railway stations. What is the plan? Information Technology brings synergy. It cuts across various barriers. We are toying with an idea of having video conferencing facility at railway stations.

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We are working on it. It will help give a boost to medical tourism, tele-consultation etc. A patient could come to railway station and have a video conference with the doctors available in the hospital. The Railways Minister has already announced that people can be trained at stations. Railways stations are islands of excellence at many places. Some of the positive features are round-theclock cleanliness and light, security, availability of manpower, etc. IRCTC will allow NRIs to book e-tickets using international credit and debit cards issued outside the country. How will this step benefit the Indian Railways? IRCTC has taken one more giant step in making it convenient for the international travelers to book tickets using their international credit and debit cards issued outside the country. For booking of rail tickets by international travellers, IRCTC will accept just any international credit or debit card at its portal through payment gateway provided by Atom Technologies. Atom has deployed a robust technology and world class fraud protection mechanism and our technology team has made necessary changes, in collaboration with them, to enable such transactions. At present, only American Express international credit cards are accepted at the IRCTC portal. This facility will benefit 3.56 lakh registered international users and NRIs, who want to book tickets for themselves or for their family members in India. Initially, this facility will not be applicable to Tatkal and premium train tickets. When will the IRCTC-Pawan Hans tie-up become operational? The tie-up with Pawan Hans will be operational by next month for helicopter ride for Mumbai. IRCTC will sell tickets for this. Pawan Hans will soon launch a ride between Chandigarh and Shimla and also in the Northeastern States, apart from rides to Amarnath and Kedarnath.

“Our mobile app is hugely popular. On existing website, we get a large number of reservations, but since we are moving towards new generation technology at CRIS website, we will be introducing our upgraded newgeneration Androidbased rail ticketing app around July-end this year”