The 30th Convergence India and 8th Smart Cities India expo, jointly organised by the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), and Exhibitions India Group (EIG), was inaugurated yesterday in New Delhi by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways.

Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said, “Smart Cities are a successful story in India. We have got a huge potential here and I am driving it personally. To achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of making India a $5 trillion economy, it is imperative to develop smart cities and villages for which public-private partnership is key.”

The Convergence India expo is one of the oldest and most reputed in the digital technology space in India, while Smart Cities India has consistently provided a platform for the industry and government representatives to interact with each other and find common ground for the development of Smart Cities across the country, a press statement from Exhibition India Group said.

The three-day expo will offer a comprehensive platform for domestic and overseas players, innovators, technologists, and start-ups from related segments to unleash the power of in-person networking, expand business opportunities, and make new alliances.

Also present at the inauguration was Karel Hirman, Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic, who observed, “As Mr. Gadkari said, development is important, but we need to preserve our nature and protect our ecology, environment and people. We believe the future of urban development is in integrating technology and data analytics into city planning and management.

“In Slovakia, our cities are already implementing smart solutions in public transport, energy, wastewater management and public safety.”

Chandrika Behl, Exhibitions India Group MD, said, “For 30 years, we have been creating an ecosystem of opportunities for India’s fast-growing digital technology industry through the Convergence India series of expos. Meanwhile, the Smart Cities India expo has evolved in tandem with the needs of the Smart Cities Mission.

“Together, both events have provided a platform for domestic brands to showcase their work in technology, smart cities, and start-up domains. At the same time, they offer a platform for international players to connect and explore business opportunities in India by forging new relationships. We are glad to host industry stalwarts at the 30th Convergence and 8th Smart cities expo. I welcome all the participants and wish them a successful event.”

A major highlight of the expo is the simultaneous conference sessions being organised during the three days. The first day was packed with 14 high-powered conference sessions and over 65 speakers. An exclusive Startup Hub Pavilion featuring over 200 startups and showcasing innovations across the different verticals of emerging technologies, ICT and smart cities technologies, is another major highlight.

Other key attractions during the three-day event include mentoring sessions from the pioneers of the ecosystem, a Start Pitch Competition, Investor and Startup meets, and the highly popular Smart City Awards, to be held on day 3.