Smart City Mission: How India is transforming its cities
India’s cities are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s economic development. According to the figures cited in the Smart City Mission framework, around 31% of India’s population lived in urban areas in 2011, contributing about 63% of the country’s GDP. By 2030, the urban population is projected to reach nearly 40%, with cities expected to contribute around 75% of GDP.
To address the growing requirements of urban populations, the Central Government launched the Smart Cities Mission on June 25, 2015. The programme focuses on improving urban infrastructure, making cities more liveable and using technology to deliver better public services.
EG: Sisi directs follow-up of implementation of unified govt services card system
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi gave directives to continuously follow up the implementation of the Unified Government Services Card system to ensure database integration, operational efficiency, and support efforts to develop the government services system.
This came during a meeting held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, by President Sisi with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendi, and Director of the Armed Forces Signal Department Chief-of-Staff Hany Mahmoud Mansour.
JO: Public Works Ministry Shifts Official Correspondence to Digital System
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing has shifted its official correspondence and administrative transactions to the government’s "Tarasol 2" electronic system, a move expected to reduce printing-related costs by nearly 90 percent.
The system, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, replaces conventional paper-based correspondence with a fully electronic workflow as part of the ministry’s broader digital transformation program.
NP: 'Digital transformation for sustainable, resilient digital system '
Minister for Information and Communication Dr. Bikram Timilsina has said that the government has accelerated digital transformation to set up sustainable and resilient digital system that caters uninterrupted information and communication services to the people even in times of disaster.
Digital transformation is not limited to expansion of technology, modernization of government series and enhancement of capability, said Minister Dr. Timilsina while addressing the Digital Nepal Conclave 2026 organised by ICT Foundation.
US: North Carolina: City of Raleigh Uses Drones, AI Technology to Create Digital Twin
The city of Raleigh, North Carolina is deploying drones and artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to create a virtual version of itself to meet the urban challenges of today and to help chart the future of the fast-growing metropolis.
Long recognized as the hub of the state’s high-tech Research Triangle region, Raleigh has worked with tech industry partners Esri, NVIDIA and Microsoft to create a digital twin of the city, to help deal with challenges such as traffic management and urban development planning.