Rethinking the over: emphasis on ICT led smart growth for Indian smart cities

Abstract

In the light of India adopting the smart city approach to growth, crucially examine the current thrust which is being put on ICT led smart growth and question its feasibility and sustainability. With an annual cost of about Rs 35,000 crore for the next 20 years to be invested in smart cities of which a substantial allocation will be for information and communication technology (ICT), this paper seeks to address crucial concerns underlying the over-emphasis of ICT led smart growth in Indian Context. The present literature and reports which highlight the huge market for ICT (to the tune of US$ 108 billion by 2020, it is imperative that one examines the discourse on ICT focused smart city approach for India. A plan to invest vastly in smart city technologies which have been propogated and sold by global giants such as IBM and Cisco, the paper discusses through present literature and case studies the costs, and risks of such investments without analyzing and expecting direct and indirect returns and benefits to citizens. While adoption of such high end ICT for smart cities has obvious concerns such as privacy under the big data regime, the social exclusion of certain classes, increasing digital divide, the technological determinism at the cost of creative and liveable cities, opportunity costs in terms of not investing in other priority sectors of public health or education, and ultimately an emergence of the Orwellian-Big Brother watching concept, the paper highlights the various discourses on these issues through a common thread of technology focus of smart cities. Apart from delving into the emergence of the smart city concept, largely advocated by IT giants such as IBM and Cisco, it underlines the psyche behind the concept thrown at us by corporate. Focusing on reasons for a rain check on high ICT led growth as a kind of technology consumerism rather than a relatively simpler and cost effective form of growth, the paper throws light on alternate forms of using technology. Instead of a commercially led smart growth, the paper focuses on aspects of urban design and citizen engagement- governance as harbingers of change in future cities. The paper ultimately suggests a policy framework for new cities, existing cities and an alternate form of development path by opting for growth in villages.