Cities of the future? Indian PM pushes plan for 100 'smart cities'

In an ambitious plan to upgrade urban India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he will build 100 "smart cities" -- cities outfitted with high-tech communication capabilities -- across the country.

"Cities in the past were built on riverbanks," Modi said in a June speech. "They are now built along highways. But in the future, they will be built based on availability of optical fiber networks and next-generation infrastructure."

For Modi, who took office in May, building new cities is a way to deal with the country's rapidly urbanizing population while also competing with China, which has made smart cities a centerpiece of its own policies.

Last week, Modi's government announced a $1.2 billion investment in smart cities over the next year, with more funding coming from private investors and abroad.

 

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