Smart cities and Digital India
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How Smart City is the way ahead for India
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Smart cities concept is about improving cities through citizen involvement or bottoms up approach. People's movement brings commitment, good ideas and feedback at various stages. Primary knowledge domains are in planning, architecture and design, re-finance, technology, integrated thinking and problem solving, and social change.

Smart cities improvements can be where:
a) New part is developed
b) Existing area is improved
c) Designs or aesthetics are improved
d) Systems are improved
e) New service is provided
f) Experience with services is improved, or
g) Tasks performed in the city are made easier.

IT package will specify objective, processes and equipment
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a) Electronics and embedded systems: to measure, track and act on local or relayed information.
b) Information Technology: to operate the overall system and/ or analyse data into useful information and actionable intelligence.
c) Telecom.

Electronics and application
1. Measurement: the first requirement is to input data, automatically collected from electronic devices or sensors. The aim is to collect from as many sources as possible.

Standalone smart meters for recording and transmitting readings for water, power, gas, etc. Smart meters are cost-effective for collecting readings. These are provided real-time free from human interference and can be set-up for automated billing. Data from a smart meter can be used for feedback, eg, data can identify unbilled usage at a feeder or locality.

Examples of measurement or feedback devices: sensors in smart buildings for climate control and detecting movement of people; water and pollution levels in rivers; sensors for air quality; parking booth for whether the lot is full; access control in buildings for crowd management; digitally enabled cameras for counting cars, people, etc and assessing queues.

An example of feedback to the human interface is a security camera. Images can alert a guard to act and can be recorded as evidence of a crime.

2. Tracking - A GPS device fitted to a unit can track the whereabouts and show the route. It informs the service provider about service delivery. eg. delivery of parcels, coverage of Garbage truck, space between buses.

A person or a vehicle can be tracked with individual markers left at entries and exits. It may be useful in security and possibly for planning a bus or metro system.

3. Control - Return loop from IT or embedded system can control devices like water pumps, parking booths, equipment functions, entry and exit control, lighting, heating etc; or displays like traffic signals and information screens.

Telecoms
Wifi or wired network to a local controller is sufficient for simple tasks. Low power wide area network is used to disseminate data more widely and is useful for dispersed or complex tasks.

Integrated approach - an explanation
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Sensors are linked at the city or national level. Data is streamed from varied sources and transmitted on wide access networks. The highly complex task of processing is accomplished by machine-to-machine processing, cloud solutions and internet of things. Solutions devised from an integrated approach have morphed into national level enterprises. Cities have shown willingness to buy into the service. Examples of City-level integration: Control Centres for traffic, security, emergencies, utilities, suburban and metro systems.

Also: Advances in telecom technologies assisting Smart Cities deployments
Next 20 years of Indian Smart Cities: Challenges & Opportunities 

How Smart City is the way ahead for India