RIL — Building Back Better — Manufacturing Clusters/Industrial Corridors (Industry 5.0 Based), Smart Cities & Smart Villages, 6G, Mobility 2.0 & much more)
By: Jagmohan Singh Sekhon
Tags: infrastructure

RIL — Building Back Better — Manufacturing Clusters/Industrial Corridors (Industry 5.0 Based), Smart Cities & Smart Villages, 6G, Mobility 2.0 and much more)

https://bit.ly/3kJOPcO

While working with the The United Nations General Assembly in 2016 we adopted a new approach to disaster relief titled “Building Back Better” (BBB).

Though the approach primarily targeted physically damaging natural disasters — like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and others — some of the suggested measures offered interdisciplinary insight into responses to the Covid-19 crisis.

We have started journey of Built Back Better infrastructure keeping the following focus areas within our new investment cycle https://bit.ly/34ueVet.

Overall :

- RIL JIO Reinventing Manufacturing and Re-Shoring Supply Chains. https://bit.ly/3kJOPcO

- RIL JIO Industrial Clusters ( based on Industry 5.0 https://bit.ly/35MICqp. )

- RIL JIO Smart Cities. https://bit.ly/35N87YP

- RIL JIO Smart Villages. https://bit.ly/35N87YP

- RIL JIO Super App — Internet Of Everything — https://bit.ly/3e7NN8c

- RIL JIO 6G Forays — https://bit.ly/2Hoqs62

- — RIL JIO Mobility 2.0 Based Industrial Corridors. https://bit.ly/35aTG02

Next Gen Fuelling For MaaS :

- Refined Fossil Fuels / CNG / LPG / LNG / Aviation Fuel Lines https://bit.ly/3k9bf70

- Electrical Charging Stations Line — https://bit.ly/37hx5C2

- Hydrogen Fuel — https://bit.ly/358ryux

- BioFuels — https://bit.ly/2T2sxH5

MaaS Related Infrastructure

- RIL Gigafactory / Battery Swap — https://bit.ly/37e8D4h

- RIL Hyperloop Pod Taxi Network — https://bit.ly/3lPOyFu

- RIL Drone Based Mobility Service DaaS — https://bit.ly/3dyI76I

- RIL’s Biggest Freight Aggregation / Hyper Local Network -

- RIL’s Rural Agro Mobility — https://bit.ly/37aUoxc

- Travellators / Escalators / AeroBrdiges.

MaaS Based Services

- Convenience Store Line

- Kioskization — Inside stations kiosks.

- _O2O Omnichannel — Cashier Less CheckOut — https://bit.ly/35b3gQP

- Trans Connect — Freight Aggregation.

- Connected Mobility App

- JIO — DOOH — Kiosks External

- Vehicle Telemetics

- Autonomous / Connected Cars / Shared Mobility

Collaborate to build a glorious future.

The current COVID-19 crisis is having major impact on both individual citizens and businesses across the world. The retail and hospitality sector is currently affected the most due to the lockdowns but the impact is felt all across the market. Investment in infrastructure has emerged as one of the key tools to keep people employed, businesses afloat and to maintain the productive capacity of the economy as well as maintain, and possibly increase, the attractiveness as business location.

ID-19 outbreak, caused by the coronavirus, is a deep humanitarian crisis that is also causing unprecedented disruption across the global economy and the impacts are likely to be felt for years. The International Monetary Fund on Monday said member governments should seize a low interest rate opportunity to invest in infrastructure to drive recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a shift toward greener energy. The Indian government’s plan to connect over six lakh villages with optical fibre network is the kind of “generational projects” required to build the country better in a post-COVID world as it focuses on the inclusion and leapfrogging access to information and services

The road through recovery and emergence into the new reality is rewriting the world as we know it. Our relationships to global institutions — political, consumer, capital markets, religious, education, and social — are all undergoing tremendous upheaval. And while different industries and markets will follow different paths and speeds into this uncharted future, all will exist in a much more digitally connected world.

COVID-19 has hit multiple sectors worldwide. For the infrastructure sector, the pandemic has triggered a double whammy of strained government finances as focus is diverted to immediate financial measures such as healthcare spend, as well as delays in infrastructure project pipelines.

The fact remains that there is a strong correlation between infrastructure investment and economic spin-offs. As per the Economic Policy Institute, every US$100 spent on infrastructure boosts private-sector output by US$13 (median) and US$17 (average) in the long run. Furthermore, each US$100 billion in infrastructure spending would boost job growth by roughly US$1 million full-time equivalents (FTEs). This link has always been top of mind for policy makers, especially in emerging markets. And with economies coming to a halt during this pandemic, infrastructure investment could become even more prominent as an effective tool to fast track recovery.

So, how can investors make the most of the future of infrastructure as an asset class to capture the key themes that will lay the foundation for infrastructure delivery in the post COVID world:

Financial sustainability is paramount Technology to transform infrastructure service delivery Revisiting the new normal in pricing and returns expectations ESG and sector reforms to become a priority Strengthened deal pipeline for diversified portfolios to drive the market

Unless explicitly stimulated through public policy of the central government, the economic downturn will cause less initiation of infrastructure, capital and construction projects, and projects in the pipeline are being postponed. ​Projects that are under construction today, originate from plans that have been approved two years ago. When current construction plans will be postponed or canceled, severe effects will be felt in the future.

Here we focus on added value of infrastructure projects, both large and small for the Global Economy. By applying global best practices we can build back better together.

Why do we need to invest in infrastructure today?

COVID-19 has left deep marks in the global economy. Nevertheless, the strong downturn also comes with potential benefits. It offers an excellent opportunity to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral economy and to combine it with economically sustainable recovery.

It has been shown that investing in infrastructure is one of the key opportunities to create jobs and drive the economy. The best known examples are the “New Deal” projects which were enacted by Roosevelt in 1933. This package of public works helped the U.S. Federal government survive the Great Depression by decreasing the employment rate by 10% in less then five years. Another example is the IMF1, that encouraged countries to invest in infrastructure to help create jobs and drive economic growth following the Global Financial Crisis at the end of 2008.

Infrastructure as the tool to stimulate economy across the world

It is therefore recommended to develop a long term megaprojects strategy & accelerate projects that were already in the pipeline.

By building on projects that are already in the pipeline, and focusing on more than just economic benefits, but also for e.g. sustainability goals, governments can build back better:

It is during construction that megaprojects also have a huge economic impact in terms of job creation and use of raw materials etc. The megaprojects should all continue at the fastest pace possible in the current climate as it provides the base load for the sector and can shield the economy from further job loss.

in terms of job creation and use of raw materials etc. The megaprojects should all continue at the fastest pace possible in the current climate as it provides the base load for the sector and can shield the economy from further job loss. Continuing megaprojects that are already in the pipeline will provide additional benefits in the longer term .

. Investments in sustainable infrastructure will support the transition to a more sustainable society and create a world that is ‘better than normal’ after COVID-19.

and create a world that is ‘better than normal’ after COVID-19. Infrastructure improves the productivity of the nation allowing goods and resources to move throughout the economy.

of the nation allowing goods and resources to move throughout the economy. Infrastructure can be used to drive outcomes, both economic and social .

In this way we can thrive the economy and shape a flexible, sustainable and resistant future.

. “ Investments in sustainable infrastructure will be the right instrument for restarting the engine of the world economy after the COVID-19 pandemic by building more resilient societies while also creating millions of jobs ”

in will be the right for the engine of after the COVID-19 pandemic more while also millions of ” One of the hard lessons that the great pandemic has hopefully taught us is the need to re-imagine our relationship with the natural world which we inhabit. The idea should be to live more lightly on the planet and be much more mindful of the fact that our individual fortunes are tightly tied to our collective security and welfare as a species, because individual threats like virus infections can be countered only by collective solutions.

We need to find new ways of ensuring the greatest good of the greatest number and focus much more on preserving that ever-diminishing thin layer of soil and sea and sky which sustains life on the planet. The creation of infrastructure is a critical area that needs to be re-looked at with fresh eyes, and we need to conceive new approaches to building assets that are robust, resilient and intelligent, while also being more sustainable by virtue of being better integrated with local environments, including the communities around which they are located.

New-age infrastructure also needs to be amenable to the new paradigms of its utilisation that are evolving, like the connected and shared models in urban public transport. The arrival of fourth generation technologies like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things [IOT] and Big Data has made this task much easier.

For instance, the implantation of cheap IoT devices has opened possibilities of creating lighter infrastructure which can be better maintained, because IoT devices can dynamically send us data regarding the health of the system.

The shared models of consuming services which are increasingly becoming popular thanks to internet connectivity, like cab aggregators in urban public transport and online community marketplaces connecting people looking to rent homes could lead to reduced demands on infrastructure that needs to be freshly created in these domains.

The most impactful reform in the creation of public infrastructure in India could possibly be in improving project conception and design. Public projects in India are mostly conceived, designed and planned by institutions that are wedded from the beginning to creating a certain output, and not to a desirable outcome.

For instance, metro-rail companies in the smaller Indian cities may not have access to information on lower-cost options of moving people around the city, like elevated electric buses and sometimes lack of information around complex solutions that could become financially unviable.

Another aspect that needs to be considered is that sometimes after projects are conceived their detailed project reports are sometimes created in a rush and a few key aspects around independence of thinking, long-term sustainability, community impact or environmental fit are not given due thought.

A seminal reform that could be considered is empowering the agencies involved, the freedom to create project concept documents and detailed project reports along with the freedom to come to independent conclusions regarding project fit, viability, durability, and sustainability, which can stand the test of rigorous third-party scrutiny.

Given the increasing pressures on land use, as well as rising concerns around environmental impact and benefits to local communities, the era of mega-projects may soon be coming to a close, and solutions for the future may lie in smaller, disaggregated projects serving local communities, particularly in critical areas like power and water-supply. A related reform could be to reduce institutional separation in infrastructure creation.

We are still a long way off from bundling asset creation and maintenance obligations together, with the result that the contracting agencies that are engaged in building infrastructure would have an institutional interest in over-designing, with little obligation to ensure that the asset created is fit-for-purpose over a longer period. Incorporating maintenance covenants into asset-creation contracts will go a long way to ensuring quality, resilience and better performance.

We also need to go back to the drawing board for creating a whole new policy and regulatory environment around marrying public funding and private investments together in the common national goal of infrastructure creation.

The quantum of private investments flowing into infrastructure creation has sunk to a low of around 20%, for reasons that are well known, like the stresses faced by our banks and NBFCs.

The history of PPPs in India has been chequered, with complaints around unfair sharing of risks and rewards between public agencies and private investors on the one hand, and allegations of unfair expropriation by private investors in certain flagship projects, on the other.

The Vijay Kelkar committee’s recommendations on improving the PPP ecosystem have long been in the offing and will hopefully become policy soon. Rescuing and reforming the lending agencies, opening out new financing pipelines like infra bond markets, and redesigning the PPP ecosystem are all equally pressing compulsions for reviving private investment in this space.

In the spirit of never letting a good crisis go to waste, this is the right time like no other to stop in our tracks, and to collectively rethink our entire philosophy, our approaches, policies and regulatory architecture for creating infrastructure for the next generation, that is light on resource use, like the migration towards renewable energy; that does little damage to the environment; that benefits not just users, but also surrounding communities, and that bind the energies and resources of the public and private sectors harmoniously together in pursuit of common goals.

We have started jouney of Built Back Better infrastructure keeping the following focus areas.

Reinventing Manufacturing and Re-Shoring Supply Chains.

Industry 5.0 Based Industrial Clusters.

Mobility 2.0 Based Industrial Corridors.

Smart Cities.

Smart Villages.

Reinventing Manufacturing and Re-Shoring Supply Chains - Trends That Will Dominate Manufacturing in 2021

What’s next for Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing? What are the manufacturing trends of the future? Here we considers the main trends, that we are including to reinvent our manufacturing.

Much has been said about Industry 4.0, and how it has revolutionized the manufacturing world by providing manufacturers with opportunities to utilize advanced tools and technologies throughout the product lifecycle. There’s no doubt that Industry 4.0 has enabled manufacturers to increase operational visibility, reduce costs, expedite production times, and deliver exceptional customer support.

However, as 2021 rapidly approaches, it’s time to turn our attention away from Industry 4.0 and toward Industry 5.0. Where the fourth industrial revolution focused on using technology to optimize the means of production, the fifth is all about connecting man and machine — that is, collaboration between humans and smart systems. Depending on who you ask, Industry 5.0 is either on the immediate horizon, or it’s already here, its arrival accelerated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about RIL Industry 5.0 here.

Regardless which viewpoint you subscribe to, there can be no doubt that manufacturers must continue to embrace change in order stay ahead of competitors and win market share in an ever-evolving industry. Those who wish to not just survive, but thrive, must leverage the latest technologies and trends.

Employee Safety Becomes a Top Priority

It almost goes without saying that employee safety is a — if not the — leading trend for manufacturers heading into 2021. Workplace safety has, of course, always been a priority for manufacturers, but it takes on new significance in light of the pandemic. In addition to basic safety precautions, such as enforcing social distancing measures on the production floor and ensuring that workers sanitize their workspace, manufacturers must closely and carefully monitor who enters and exits their facilities, and which individuals or equipment they interact with. This has led many manufacturers to in-source facilities maintenance and management and placed increased emphasis on traceability, which requires manufacturers to reclaim internal equipment data from OEMs.

This renewed focus on employee safety even extends as far as field service; in order to minimize contact, technicians will need to be more prepared for each job so that they can quickly complete open work orders. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if there were a dramatic increase in manufacturers’ first-time fix rates as a result. We also predict that this trend will have a direct effect on supply chain visibility, as manufacturers demand greater transparency from suppliers as they work to track issues and claims throughout the manufacturing process.

IoT is (Still) THE Big Thing

Though the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a more common, widespread technology in the manufacturing industry, it remains at the top of trends lists year after year for its adaptability and innovation — and this year is no exception.

IoT, which entails the interconnection of unique devices within an existing internet infrastructure, has enabled manufacturers to make informed, strategic decisions using real-time data and achieve a wide variety of goals, including cost reduction, enhanced efficiency, improved safety, product innovation, and more. Nearly a third (31%) of production processes now incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence. Additionally, 34% of manufacturers have plans to incorporate IoT technology into their processes, while 32% plan to embed IoT technology into their products.

IoT and predictive analytics are having a major impact on manufacturing, offering exciting new opportunities for connecting operations and transforming business processes. Innovation is driving business growth, and technology is enabling manufacturers to evolve with an increasingly digital-first business landscape.

COVID-19 has brought renewed interest to IoT technology due to its remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities. From a public safety perspective, it’s impractical, if not impossible, for field service technicians to show up on job sites on a moment’s notice; every work order must be meticulously planned well in advance. IoT-enabled devices make it possible for manufacturers to safely monitor equipment performance at a distance and identify potential issues before a malfunction even occurs; they also enable technicians to gain a complete understanding of the problem at hand and come up with potential solutions before they arrive at the job site, so they can get in and get out that much faster.

Predictive Maintenance Keeps Production on Track

Speaking of predictive maintenance, a breakdown in critical equipment is costly to manufacturers in terms of repairs, downtime, and loss of productivity. A whopping 98% of organizations report that a single hour of downtime costs them over $100,000.

98% of organizations report that a single hour of downtime costs them over $100,000.

Therefore, it’s vitally important for manufacturers to ensure that all equipment functions at optimal performance levels — and many are turning to predictive analytics and predictive maintenance to do so.

Predictive maintenance is proven to reduce unplanned outages and to extend machinery life by years. Predictive analytics enables manufacturers to monitor equipment performance using any number of performance metrics and to automate the data collection process using IoT technology. This insight provides manufacturers with a better understanding of how systems work and when they will fail, enabling them to administer predictive maintenance and save valuable time, money, and resources in the process. You can even conduct monitoring tests while equipment is in operation, which means there’s no loss of production due to equipment shutdown.

Shifting Focus from B2B to B2C

In recent years, many manufacturers have opted to transition from a traditional business-to-business (B2B) model to a business-to-consumer (B2C) model. The B2C model boasts a number of appealing benefits, including:

Increased Profits: Companies can get the full manufacturer’s suggest retail price (MSRP) rather than wholesale prices for their products.

Companies can get the full manufacturer’s suggest retail price (MSRP) rather than wholesale prices for their products. Faster Time to Market: Rather than contend with the lengthy traditional retail sales cycle that requires them to lock-in product development far ahead of order and delivery, manufacturers can rapidly prototype, test, and push products to market, giving them a distinct competitive advantage.

Rather than contend with the lengthy traditional retail sales cycle that requires them to lock-in product development far ahead of order and delivery, manufacturers can rapidly prototype, test, and push products to market, giving them a distinct competitive advantage. Brand Control: B2C eliminates the risk of a manufacturer’s brand being diluted or misrepresented by third parties.

B2C eliminates the risk of a manufacturer’s brand being diluted or misrepresented by third parties. Price Control: Manufacturers have the opportunity to reinforce their MSRP.

Manufacturers have the opportunity to reinforce their MSRP. Better Customer Data: Selling directly to consumers enables manufacturers to collect customer data that can ultimately result in better products, stronger relationships, and increased sales.

To effectively sell direct to consumers you’ll need to select a platform for your eCommerce operations that supports both your B2B and B2C sales platforms. It will have to deliver on order fulfillment and tracking, secure payments, customer service management, and sales and marketing activity tracking while providing a 360° view of all your B2B and B2C customer interactions.

Manufacturers Plan Their COVID-19 Exit Strategy

The unfortunate reality of COVID-19 is that certain products and the companies that manufacture them will disappear from the marketplace, never to return. Those manufacturers that do manage to survive will have had their strategy slate wiped clean, meaning there’s no time like the present to start planning a pandemic exit strategy. Gartner breaks its post-pandemic planning framework into three phases, referred to collectively as “The Reset”:

Phase 1, Respond: Immediate actions required to keep people safe and essential business functions operating

Immediate actions required to keep people safe and essential business functions operating Phase 2, Recover: Restart activities: reopen, rehire, rebudget, resupply; create a plan to restore scalable state

Restart activities: reopen, rehire, rebudget, resupply; create a plan to restore scalable state Phase 3, Renew: Strategic, durable execution across the organization; use learnings and emergent patterns from prior phases as elements of a new foundation

Five possible pathways businesses can take to reset depending on how they’ve been affected by the pandemic: Organizations that have been hard-hit by the pandemic are advised to reduce or permanently retire operating models that have been pushed to the point of breaking. Organizations thrown into chaos due to sudden surges in demand can expect demand to return to pre-pandemic levels in the near future. Others are advised to reinvent themselves, either by focusing on new lines of business or refocusing capacity. Finally, organizations with digitalized business units would do well to rescale .

or permanently operating models that have been pushed to the point of breaking. Organizations thrown into chaos due to sudden surges in demand can expect demand to to pre-pandemic levels in the near future. Others are advised to themselves, either by focusing on new lines of business or refocusing capacity. Finally, organizations with digitalized business units would do well to . Manufacturers must figure out where their products fall within this five-point scale and plan accordingly. Heading into 2021, we can expect to see a lot of forecasting around future revenue as manufacturers roll into recovery and adapt to the “new normal” — this will require manufacturers to readjust forecasts, assess impact to business, and determine where to retool, rescale, or draw back. Given the vast diversity that exists within the manufacturing industry, it’s safe to say that no two companies’ COVID-19 exit strategies are likely to look the same.

A New Approach to ERP

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) planning systems have become a mainstay amongst manufacturing companies due to their ability to streamline processes through automation, to provide accurate, real-time information, and to reduce costs. That said, COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way in which manufacturers engage with and utilize their ERP systems.

We’ve seen a growing number of manufacturers layer agile applications on top of their existing ERP systems, rather than try to make ERP do it all. For example, many of our manufacturing clients here at Hitachi Solutions have approached us to create Power Apps for everything from employee safety apps to back-to-work systems; these temporary solutions sit on top of our clients’ ERP systems and enable them to adapt to the new normal of COVID-19 without having to go through a multi-year development process.

We’ve also seen manufacturers take a data-driven approach to ERP upgrades. This approach enables manufacturers to move data forward, consolidate around modern data platforms, and build tangent functions on top of their existing data model without having to perform a full replacement or make any significant changes to their existing ERP, resulting in a faster time to value.

Manufacturers Gain Greater Visibility into Big Data

Renewed interest in IoT and increased emphasis on predictive maintenance means big data is an even bigger trend than ever before; we can likely expect almost every surface to be transformed into a sensor for data collection in order to generate real-time insights for manufacturers. The ability to collect data from a multiplicity of sources, combined with increasingly powerful cloud computing capabilities, make it possible for manufacturers to slice and dice data in ways that provide them with a comprehensive understanding of their business — an absolute essential as they work to reevaluate their forecasting and planning models and develop a successful COVID-19 exit strategy.

VR & AR Support Touchless Service Model

COVID-19 has proven to be a major obstacle to the field service arms of manufacturing companies, preventing technicians from going to job sites to install equipment or administer repairs. Fortunately, assistive technology such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has made it possible for technicians to provide remote assistance by sending customers AR- and VR-enabled devices and walking them through basic troubleshooting and repairs.

For many manufacturers, this presents an exciting opportunity. In the past, customers were often reluctant to explore touchless service options and instead preferred the convenience of having a technician come onsite to complete a repair. Now, due to COVID-19, more customers are open to this idea, enabling manufacturers to evaluate new processes and procedures with the long-term goal of making them permanent fixtures. In the end, customers and field service technicians benefit from the reduced risk of exposure, and manufacturers benefit from exploring new lines of business.

3D Printing Makes Production Faster & Cheaper

Although it might seem to the general public like something out of a science fiction novel, 3D printing has been a staple in additive manufacturing for almost 40 years. These days, manufacturers depend on 3D printing to support prototyping — a highly cost-effective way for product designers to test and troubleshoot new products — and to produce items on demand rather than have to manufacture and warehouse them.

3D printing has also transformed the expensive and time-consuming process of tooling. Historically, it took months for manufacturers to create the molds, jigs, and fixtures necessary for the mass production of heavy equipment, and many manufacturers depended on the support of tooling companies headquartered overseas. Now, thanks to 3D printing, manufacturers can complete tooling onsite in just a matter of days; this has made 3D printing a fixture in the automotive and aerospace manufacturing industries in recent years.

Manufacturers Reevaluate Shoring & Sourcing

Prior to COVID-19, reshoring — that is, bringing imported goods or materials back to domestic production — was already well on its way to becoming common practice amongst U.S.-based manufacturers. According to some reports, as many as 749,000 jobs were brought back to the U.S. between 2010 and 2018 as a result of reshoring.

There are a number of reasons for this:

The economies in many go-to offshoring countries have become stronger in recent years, leading to an increase in wages for their citizens.

Countries in which labor remains inexpensive lack the infrastructure to support complex manufacturing operations.

The cost of transportation continues to rise.

Manufacturers are now able to utilize advanced software programs and robotics to automate many of the processes that once required human intervention.

We can now add COVID-19 to that list.

COVID-19 has really gotten people’s attention. COVID-19 has revealed the U.S. dependency on offshore manufacturing, especially China. As the pandemic shows, we can suddenly be in the impossible position of not having enough critical supplies. That is not because we didn’t try it; it’s because we had almost no base from which to build here in the U.S.

Similar to how COVID-19 has prompted a renewed reshoring effort, it has also led manufacturers to reevaluate sourcing. The pandemic has caused significant disruption to the global supply chain, making it more challenging for manufacturers who source from other countries — China, in particular — to get a hold of materials. This has prompted many manufacturers to diversify sourcing by adopting a “China, Plus One” strategy or near-sourcing. Near-sourcing, also known as local sourcing, is the process by which a business brings operations closer to where its finished product is sold; in manufacturing, it typically refers to the sourcing of raw materials from domestic suppliers.

We can expect both reshoring and near-sourcing to be leading trends heading into 2021, as manufacturers attempt to reduce or eliminate entirely dependencies on foreign materials. These trends will not only help manufacturers remain resilient to future COVID-related disruption should other countries shut down a second time, they’ll also provide a much-needed boost to the U.S. economy.

The Job Market Remains Uncertain

We’ve all seen news stories about mass layoffs and furloughs as a result of COVID-19; naturally, the manufacturing industry has also been affected, however, the degree of disruption varies from one manufacturer to the next based on what they sell. Companies that produce non-essential goods have seen a significant reduction in staff, while those that produce essential goods have actually had to scale up, add product lines, and hire new workers in order to satisfy demand. Those that have had to reduce their workforce have turned to IoT automation and product line and factory process optimization in an attempt to keep things as close to business as usual. Optimization, in particular, allows for cost control and profitability, which are essential for companies whose sales are down.

Additive Manufacturing

Advancements in additive manufacturing can help companies reduce energy costs, limit waste, and boost production. Plus, these technologies are becoming increasingly affordable.

Manufacturers will benefit from faster, less expensive production as a result of 3D printing. It makes rapid prototyping, which is a highly cost-effective way for product designers to test and troubleshoot their products, possible. In addition, it enables manufacturers to produce items on demand instead of having to manufacture and warehouse them.

The expensive and time-consuming process of tooling for manufacturers is already being transformed by 3D printing. Historically the production of molds, jigs, and fixtures used in the mass production of heavy equipment took months, was very expensive and typically involved utilizing tooling companies headquartered overseas. 3D printing makes it possible for tooling to be cost-effectively completed on-site, in days and has already been embraced by the automotive and aerospace manufacturing industries.

Collaborative Robots

In terms of the more advanced industrial trends predicted for 2019, these include the greater use of robots. Here robots are set to become more sophisticated, in terms of the machines becoming smaller, smarter, and more closely integrated with human tasks. Robots are set to grow across advanced economies. This will have an impact on employment. Robots are expected to create 15 million new jobs in the U.S. over the next 10 years, as a direct result of automation and artificial intelligence. However, 25 million jobs could be lost.

The Robotics Industries Association (RIA) defines collaborative robots, also known as “cobots,” as robots specifically designed to work side-by-side with humans within a defined collaborative workspace. Along with additive manufacturing, cobot technology can be a formidable ally for manufacturers trying to compete with more extensive operations. The RIA predicts cobot sales will reach $34 billion by 2026 as more and more manufacturers take advantage of this technology.

In anticipation of this growing demand, researchers at the NIST Robotics Test Facility are conducting ongoing robotics research, including implementing safety standards and studying the intricacies surrounding humans working side-by-side with cobots. The NIST scientists are documenting both the safety and productivity potential of cobots for manufacturing tasks such as assembly, machine tending, quality inspections, and more.

Smart Manufacturing

With machine learning and analytics now more readily available via CNC machines, manufacturers can use smart manufacturing to improve productivity and efficiency.

Smart Manufacturing is defined as the practice of making information about manufacturing processes available when and where it is needed, in the form it is needed, so that smart decisions can be made about the course of critical business operations.

Technology on its own won’t grow a business. The article suggests manufacturers should establish long-term and short-term goals for business growth, set margins to measure that growth, and only then determine what type of machines and technology they need to reach those goals.

Cybersecurity

We are bound to see more of these as companies increasingly embrace the advantages that smart factories, industrial robots, and the many other components that make up IIoT-enabled environments and the Industry 5.0 era offer. Enterprises will need to mitigate risks more than ever. They will need an integrated approach to security that begins with a cybersecurity framework.

Any secure smart environment should have a sound foundation that uses next-generation intrusion detection and prevention, application whitelisting, integrity monitoring, virtual patching, advance sandboxing analysis, machine learning, behavior analysis, antimalware, risk detection, vulnerability assessment, next-generation firewall, anti-spear-phishing, spam protection, and data leakage technologies. Deploying a risk-reducing architecture and staying abreast of the latest in cybersecurity (threats and possible mitigation steps) by relying on trusted partners are also a must to protect all connected devices and environments on all fronts.

Workforce Development

Technology advances offer numerous opportunities for the future of workforce development. Even now, employees who used to do repetitive assembly or inspection tasks are advancing their careers into higher-level positions that require problem-solving skills.

Meanwhile, manufacturers still need a large number of skilled workers to fill job openings. According to a recent study from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, skilled production, digital talent, and operational management positions may be three times as difficult to fill in the next three years, with 2.4 million positions in manufacturing going unfilled between 2020 and 2028.

Manufacturing engineers also referred to as plant engineers or process engineers, will be in high demand in 2020 to perform cost benefit-analyses, solve production issues, and operate CAD software to design and produce products and systems. Digital twin engineers, who manage communication networks between the physical and digital worlds throughout the manufacturing value chain, are also expected to be in high demand, according to the Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute study.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI delivers the promise of rapid processing of large amounts of data and deep machine learning, the applications in manufacturing are endless with Industry 5.0.

AI and voice controlled assistance are an important part of just about every part of our future, at work, at home and in the car between the two.

MANUFACTURING IN THE AUGMENTED AGE

In the augmented age of Industry 5.0, we will use tools like VR headsets to augment our skills and to make processes simpler and more repeatable. We expect to be using AR glasses to deliver a mixed reality experience to both our staff and our visitors.

With AR glasses and other manufacturing augmentation improvements from Industry 5.0, our plant tour will become a mixed reality experience that can be enjoyed onsite and remotely. Taking a tour with AR glasses will allow visitors to see real-time data as they move through each part of our facility and past every machine. In remote locations, we’ll be able to take people on a virtual tour with 360 video.

COBOTS –COMPANIONS AND COLLABORATORS

The most important part of the application of robotics with Industry 5.0, like other forms of automation is going to be the human machine interface (HMI) and the close and mutually beneficial relationship between the two. Robots will learn from humans, as well as sharing their ability to do the tasks operators can’t, or don’t need to do.

In this Industry 5.0 future, collaborative robots will work alongside technicians performing repetitive, intensive tasks. Imagine our cobots shuttling PCBA’s from one department to another, performing the duties of a water spider, refilling components at each station, and performing routine maintenance of production equipment.

DIGITAL TWIN

We currently collect vast amounts of data from our Connected Factory. Powered through intelligent machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and Track Trace and Control (TTC) System, we think our factory is a shining example of the Internet of Manufacturing (IoM) for an energy provider.

A digital twin will allow our supply chain and scheduling teams to quickly and efficiently simulate the ideal scenario for a new production job. It would quickly analyze current production, align the new job within the pipeline and make suggestions based on the target delivery, required material, and assembly steps.

WEARABLES THAT KEEP OUR TEAM SAFE

Wearables like smart gloves offer the user the ability to use gesture control to operate equipment as well as pull up display information or make adjustments; but what about smart fabrics that monitor stress levels within operators doing challenging and mission critical work?

With major improvements in wearable devices, we see how wearables in Industry 5.0 could also ensure ESD compliance as well as monitor comfort, fatigue and even boredom of operators in order to help create the most ergonomic environment. The wearable device would alarm to move an operator to a task that keeps them stimulated.

The Future Looks Bright

While 2020 promises to be an interesting year in manufacturing, all of the topics above represent facets of the larger dynamics that will shape manufacturing in the decades to come. The fact is, we’re in the midst of an industrial revolution that is changing how products are designed, fabricated, used, and serviced. The implications are especially exciting for smaller manufacturers, as the ingredients for increased productivity and profitability have never been more accessible. If your company is ready to seize the opportunity, the future is now.

Looking ahead, manufacturers will likely continue to reevaluate their workforce based on shifts in demand. Those companies that find themselves in a position to hire will likely have their sights set on highly data-focused employees. Though this type of employee is likely to be a rare find due to the ongoing shortage of tech-savvy talent, companies like Hitachi Solutions are producing easy-to-use technology that will create new opportunities for employees of all backgrounds.

COVID-19 has changed the world — and the manufacturing industry — as we know it. Manufacturers that intend to survive in this new era must fully embrace Industry 5.0 and reimagine the future of their companies — and the sooner, the better.

Industrial Clusters

The European Observatory for Clusters and Industrial Change has published the 2020 edition of the European Panorama of Clusters and Industrial Change .

. The report presents an overview of how clusters contribute to the competitiveness of the European economy. It analyses cluster strength across 51 exporting industry sectors in Europe and identifies 2,950 regional industrial clusters. These industrial clusters account for almost one in four European jobs (61.8 million jobs or 23.4% of total employment) and about half of total employment in exporting industries (50.3%). The majority of the 51 exporting industry sectors have at least 50% of their employment in clusters.

The report introduces a new, further refined methodology to distinguish strong clusters according to performance levels. It identifies 198 high-performing clusters across Europe, which are regional concentrations of exporting industries. Moreover, it identifies 898 medium-performing clusters and 1,854 basic-performing clusters.

Productivity in clusters is much higher than average productivity, corresponding to a 25% above-average productivity effect. Productivity increases with cluster strength: in basic-performing and medium-performing clusters productivity is 10–15% above average, while productivity in high-performing clusters is more than twice as high as the average (+140%).

The report also looks into the role of firm size in explaining cluster strength. Compared to other major international economies, where large firms are more dominant, Europe’s specialisation is driven by both large firms and SMEs equally. This result underlines the importance of SMEs for the European economy.

Please find more information in the report available here.

The news was published on ec.europa.eu website here.

India has drawn up a list of ten mega clusters across nine states as the most attractive destinations for companies to set shop based on sectoral requirements and tax incentives to promote the country as an alternative business continuity plan destination amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

While the Noida-Greater Noida cluster is an electronics hub, Hyderabad is the largest export hub for pharma and vaccine, as per the analysis and these “have the potential of developing into the most fertile grounds for manufacturing rapid economic activity in the country.”

Ahmedabad, Vadodara (Bharuch-Ankleshwar Cluster), Mumbai-Aurangabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Tirupati-Nellore are the other most attractive clusters for investors.

This is part of the exercise that Invest India, the country’s national Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency under the commerce and industry ministry, with professional services firm JLL undertook to create a guide for potential investors on how quickly they can invest in the country with low capex models to operate here.

It highlighted India’s three distinct advantages- the recent reduction of corporate taxes for setting up of new industries, being host to Global In-house Centres and Global Centre of Excellence (GCoEs) for several manufacturing companies, and the added attraction of a large domestic market.

The idea is to market Brand India at a time when the country’s FDI inflows fell 1.44% on year to $10.67 billion in the October-December period of FY20.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development expects global FDI to shrink 30–40% in FY21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

India is at the cusp of becoming the world’s business and manufacturing destination of choice, driven by proactive policy, technological dexterity, a robust startup ecosystem and innovative disruptions and the report is a showcase of world-class manufacturing ecosystems that exist in India.

These 10 mega clusters cover about a hundred popular industrial parks and house over 600 Indian and foreign multi-national companies. The analysis also details the state-wise incentive structures in India and sops offered by the centre, exemptions and stamp duty concession, land benefits, power tariff subsidy, capital subsidy, interest subsidy and other sector-specific incentives.

Ease of doing business, cost saving

India currently has an inventory of around 22 million square feet of ready built industrial space in eight top cities ready to be occupied in 6- 8 weeks.

Highlighting higher capex savings while operating in India, they said that rented factories for lease tenure of nine years and above can reduce the spend on land and building significantly, bringing down capital investment in the short term.

Similarly, by investing in India, companies can increase their profitability through a three-year special window to book lowest corporate tax of 17.16% for new manufacturing units operationalising before March 31, 2023, and exemption of customs duties under several schemes such as Special Economic Zones and Bonded Manufacturing

As per the report, India has repealed over 1,000 regulations in the last five years to reduce compliance burden on investors.

We need to create industrial clusters to decongest cities

INDIAN SME CLUSTERS

With a contribution of 40% to the country’s industrial output and 35% to direct exports, the Small-Scale Industry (SSI) sector has achieved significant milestones for the industrial development of India. Within the SSI sector, an important role is played by the numerous clusters that have been in existence for decades and sometimes even for centuries. According to a UNIDO survey of Indian SSI clusters undertaken in 1996 (later updated in 1998), there are 350 SSI clusters. Also, there are approximately 2000 rural and artisan based clusters in India. It is estimated that these clusters contribute 60% of the manufactured exports from India. The SSI clusters in India are estimated to have a significantly high share in employment generation.

Some Indian SSE clusters are so big that they account for 90 per cent of India’s total production output in selected products. As for example, the knitwear cluster of Ludhiana. Almost the entire Gems and Jewellery exports are from the clusters of Surat and Mumbai. Similarly, the clusters of Chennai, Agra and Kolkata are well known for leather and leather products.

However, the majority of Indian clusters, especially in the handicrafts sector, are very small with no more than hundred workers, so specialised that no other place in the world matches their skills and the quality of their output. This is the case, for example, of the Paithani sarees cluster in Maharashtra. However, onlv a tiny minority of such artisan clusters are globally competitive.

The formidable challenges created for the SSE sector bv the liberalisation of the Indian economy, as well as its closer integration within the global economy, have generated a great deal of interest within India on novel approaches to SSE development. As a result, both private and public sector institutions at the Central as well as the State levels are increasingly undertaking cluster development initiatives.

View list of Indian SME Clusters

View Cluster initiatives reckoner

CHALLENGES FOR INDIAN INDUSTRY

Becoming More Competitive in the global market by cost-cutting, productivity improvement and efficient management of supply chains, greater public and private investment in infrastructure.

in the global market by cost-cutting, productivity improvement and efficient management of supply chains, greater public and private investment in infrastructure. Enhancing Access to Global Markets by greater policy coordination within the Indian Government for a coherent approach to emerging trade policy issues, an institutional partnership between the private sector and the Government in devising specific marketing strategies.

by greater policy coordination within the Indian Government for a coherent approach to emerging trade policy issues, an institutional partnership between the private sector and the Government in devising specific marketing strategies. Safeguarding Intellectual Property by effectively administering copyright and patent legislation, encouraging more innovations and patenting them.

by effectively administering copyright and patent legislation, encouraging more innovations and patenting them. Promoting Small-Scale and Cottage Industries, and Regional Cluster Development by removing policy impediments; financial support; technology, skills and quality upgrading; market support and improving links between small and large firms.

by removing policy impediments; financial support; technology, skills and quality upgrading; market support and improving links between small and large firms. Increasing Exports

Industrial Corridors

Government of India is developing various Industrial Corridor Projects as part of National Industrial Corridor Programme which is aimed at development of futuristic industrial cities in India which can compete with the best manufacturing and investment destinations in the world. The same will create employment opportunities and economic growth leading to overall socio-economic development.

11 Industrial Corridors Projects are being taken up for development with 30 Projects to be developed in 04 phases up to 2024–25:

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC); Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC); Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC); East Coast Industrial Corridor (ECIC) with Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase 1; Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC); Extension of CBIC to Kochi via Coimbatore; Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC); Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor (HWIC); Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC); Odisha Economic Corridor (OEC); Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor (DNIC).

While developing the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, Western DFC has been considered as the transportation backbone while Eastern DFC has been considered as the backbone for Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) project. For other industrial corridor projects like Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) and Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC), NH-4 has been considered as the backbone. For East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), NH-5 which is part of the Golden Quadrilateral, the Kolkata–Chennai rail route has been considered as the transport backbone. The proposed North- South East-West and East Coast Dedicated Freight Corridors will further supplement the existing transportation backbone for the corresponding Industrial Corridors.

Phase 1: Projects approved

Dholera Special Investment Region (22.5 sq. kms) under DMIC in Gujarat. http://dicdl.in/

Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area (18.55 sq. kms) under DMIC in Maharashtra.https://www.auric.city/

Integrated Industrial Township Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh (747.5 acres) under DMIC in Uttar Pradesh. https://www.iitgnl.com/

Integrated Industrial Township Vikram Udyogpuri near Ujjain (1100 acres) under DMIC in Madhya Pradesh. http://vikramudyogpuriujjain.com/

Integrated Multi Modal Logistics Hub at Nangal Chaudhary (886 acres) in Haryana under DMIC has been approved by CCEA and implementation is likely to be initiated shortly.

The program is aimed at providing multi modal connectivity with complete “plug and play”infrastructure till the plot level along with building resilient and sustainable future ready cities. As part of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) Project, 4 cities in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have already been implemented and 68 plots covering an area of 521 acres have been allotted so far with a committed investment of around Rs. 16,000 crore. Total developed land available which is additionally ready for allotment to industries is 3,620 acres and 3,000 acres for non-industrial uses.

Phase 2: Projects in advance stage of planning and implementation to be initiated by 2021

Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (2,500 acres) in Andhra Pradesh approved by NICDIT and approval from CCEA is being sought

Tumakuru Industrial Area (1,736 acres) in Karnataka under CBIC has been approved by NICDIT and approval from CCEA is being sought.

For Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) & Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) (1,208 acres) at Greater Noida in UP under DMIC, NICDIT has accorded its approval & CCEA approval is being sought.

As part of DMIC, for Dighi Port Industrial Area (7,413 acres), activities pertaining to detailed master planning and preliminary engineering has been completed

For Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Sanand (500 acres) under DMIC in Gujarat, master planning activities are being finalized;

As part of Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor, master planning has been completed for Zaheerabad (3,500 acres)

As part of Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor, master planning has been completed for Hyderabad (8,000 acres)

As part of Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor, master planning has been completed for Raghunathpur (2,483 acres)

Phase 3: Projects under development and implementation likely to be initiated by 2023

As part of CBIC, activities pertaining to detailed master planning and preliminary engineering for Ponneri (4,000 acres) has been initiated

As part of extension of CBIC, activities pertaining to detailed master planning and preliminary engineering for Palakkad (1,878 acres) in Kerala has been initiated

As part of extension of CBIC, activities pertaining to detailed master planning and preliminary engineering for Dharmapuri Salem (1,733 acres) in Tamil Nadu has been initiated

As part of Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor, master planning activities are being initiated for Hisar (3,000 acres) in Haryana

For VCIC Corridor, project development activities are being initiated forKopparthy (4,085 acres) in Andhra Pradesh

For VCIC Corridor, project development activities are being initiated forChittoor (8,967 acres) in Andhra Pradesh

For Vizag (4,311 acres) Node under VCIC in Andra Pradesh, State Govt. is carrying out the Detailed Master Planning and Preliminary Engineering.

For AKIC Corridor, Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Prag Khurpia(2,935 acres) under AKIC in Uttarakhand is being taken up and tender documents for selection of consultants have been issued.

Phase 4: Projects under conceptualization and implementation likely to be initiated by 2024

For BMIC Corridor, Dharwad (5,800 acres) in Karnataka is being taken up.

For BMIC Corridor, Sangli/Satara/Solapur Node in Maharashtra is proposed for development and State Govt. has been requested for a concurrence on prioritized node

For Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Rajpura Patiala under AKIC in Punjab, project development activities are being initiated as confirmation from State Govt. regarding availability of land has been received.

For Integrated Manufacturing Cluster under AKIC in Uttar Pradesh, State Govt. has been requested for confirmation on prioritized node

For Integrated Manufacturing Cluster under AKIC in Jharkhand, State Govt. has been requested for confirmation on land details.

For Integrated Manufacturing Cluster under AKIC in Bihar, State Govt. has been requested for confirmation on land details

For Odisha Economic Corridor, two nodes have been identified i.e. Gopalpur,

Bhubaneswar Kalinganagar (GBK node) and Paradip –Kendrapada — Dhamra– Subarnarekha (PKDS node) and have been recently approved by NICDIT for development under National Industrial Corridor Programme and are being taken forward

Orvakal (Andhra Pradesh) node under Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor has been recently approved by NICDIT for development under National Industrial Corridor Programme and project development activities are being initiated

For Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor, discussions will be initiated shortly for project development activities tate Govt.(s) have been urged to transfer land to the project SPVs for commencement of project development activities or identify land for conducting the feasibility studies as the case may be. NICDC is in constant engagement with the States to fructify this.

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project was approved by Union Cabinet of India in 2007. Later, the institutional and financial structure of the project was approved by the Government of India are the Scheme was launched in September, 2011. Further, NICDIT(National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust) under this Department was approved on 07/12/2016 for the expansion of the scope of existing DMIC-Project. (The details in respect of other Industrial Corridors are given in Annexure-III.)

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project is a flagship programme of the Government of India with aim to enhance India’s competitiveness significantly in manufacturing through creation of world class infrastructure with reduced logistics costs. The project aims to create smart, sustainable industrial cities by leveraging high speed, high capacity connectivity backbone provided by the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to reduce logistic costs in an enabling policy framework. These new cities will come up in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. This is the first time that the geographical planning was integrated with the digital planning with an Information & Communication Technology (ICT) backbone to create Smart cities of the future. In essence, technology is being used to enable India to leap frog in the process of urbanisation.

The Perspective Plan prepared for DMIC had identified 24 investment nodes {11 Investment Regions (IRs) and 13 Industrial Areas (IAs)} spanning across six States after wide consultations with stakeholders including the State Governments and the concerned Central Government Ministries. Out of the 8 Industrial Cities proposed in the first phase, work has commenced in 4 cities for which sanction was received in 2014–15 and 2015–16. This is the first time; India had embarked on the process of planned urbanisation with manufacturing as the key economic driver.

Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC)

The Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor proposes to address infrastructure bottlenecks through a holistic approach while benefiting from the inherent strengths and competitiveness of each of the CBIC states. Accordingly high impact/ market driven nodesat strategic locations are proposed to be developed within the corridor to provide transparent and investment friendly facility these regions are proposed to be self- sustained nodes with world-class infrastructure, road and rail connectivity for freight movement to and from ports and logistics hubs, served by reliable power, quality social infrastructure, and provide a globally competitive environment conducive for setting up businesses.

CBIC Region covers parts of three States, referred as CBIC states, (viz. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh). CBIC Region comprises of a combined population of about 47.5 Million constituting approximately 3.7% of total population of the country.

Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)

Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) is being developed along the alignment of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) traversing a route length of 1839 km in six States. Objectives of AKIC to optimise the present economic and employment potential of the region, stimulate investments particularly in the manufacturing, agro-processing, services and export oriented units and promote overall economic development of the area through creation of high standard infrastructure and an enabling pro-business environment. AKIC is proposed to be developed in a band of 150–200 Kms on either side of EDFC, in a phased manner. AKIC will have an influence area across seven States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

East Coast Economic Corridor with phase-1 as Vizag- Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC):

East Coast Economic Corridor linking Kolkata- Chennai — Tuticorin has been envisaged with VCIC as phase-1 of the project. VCIC region encompasses one of the largest concentrations of industrial, mineral and urban nodes supplemented by strong local factor advantages which inter alia include good connection with its hinterland and major ports in the proximity of East Asian economies (around 80% of Andhra Pradesh).

Further, Odisha Economic Corridor is also being developed as part of East Coast Economic Corridor.

Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC)

The Government of India is also developing Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial corridor between Bengaluru and Mumbai, which would have an Influence Area spread across the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor is intended to facilitate development of a well- planned and resource-efficient industrial base served by world-class sustainable connectivity infrastructure, bringing significant benefits in terms of innovation, manufacturing, job creation and resource security to the two states. The availability of world class infrastructure along the Corridor shall also enable increased investments in manufacturing and industrial activityinthetwostates.Attractingmore companies, inparticularmanufacturing companies, will be effective in strengthening global competitiveness of local manufacturers, which may result in accelerated regional development.

Hyderabad Warangal and Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor:

The Government of India is also considering Hyderabad Warangal and Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridors, which would have an Influence Area spread across the states of Telangana and Maharashtra. These Industrial Corridors will facilitate development of a well- planned and resource-efficient industrial base served by world-class sustainable connectivity infrastructure, bringing significant benefits in terms of innovation, manufacturing, job creation and resource security to the identified areas.

Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC):

The Government of India has recently received a request for developing Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, which would have an Influence Area spread across the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This corridor will act as an extension of Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor thereby connecting the central parts of the country with southern parts.

Detailed Write-up :

Scheme Objectives: To enhance India’s competitiveness in manufacturing through the creation of world class infrastructure and reduced logistics costs. Coverage & Eligibility:

DMIC project covers six different States i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

AKIC Project covers seven different states i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

CBIC with extension to Kochi via Coimbatore includes 4 states, i.e. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

ECEC with 1st phase of VCIC includes the state of Andhra Pradesh.

BMIC Project includes the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

3. Budget Availability / Utilization- “National Industrial Corridor Programme” as an overarching scheme withan overallsanctioned corpus of Rs. 20,084 crore out of which Rs. 6,115 crore has been utilized till date.

4. Physical Progress against milestones: The detailed status of various Industrial Corridor Projects is enclosed at “Annexure-I”

5. Salient Features: In case of DMIC project, the construction related activities were initiated and are nearing completion at the following four locations:

Activation area for Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat admeasuring 22.5 sq. kms;

Phase-1 of Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area in Maharashtra admeasuring 18.55 sq. kms;

Integrated Industrial Township project at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh admeasuring 747.5 acres;

Integrated Industrial Township project at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh admeasuring approx. 1100 acres.

Land allotment policies have also been finalized at all the above highlighted locations and a total of 67 plots have been allotted with a committed investment of Rs. 10,060 crore .

. Apart from the above highlighted projects, project developmental activities are also being taken forward for the following projects:

Integrated Multi Modal Logistics Hub (IMLH) Project, Nangal Chaudhary at Haryana;

Greenfield International Airport Project at Dholera in Gujarat;

Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Dadri, Uttar Pradesh;

Multi Modal Logistics Park at Sanand in Gujarat;

Aerotropolis Project at Rajasthan;

Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) Project from Gurgaon to Bawal in Haryana and Ahmedabad to Dholera in Gujarat;

6. Implementing Agency: DNational Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) [erstwhile Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (DMICDC)] is the implementing agency which an acts as a knowledge partner to NICDIT in respect of all the Industrial Corridor projects for undertaking various project development activities.

7. Monitoring and Review Mechanism:

National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).

For coordinated and unified development of all the industrial corridors projects including DMIC, GoI on December 7, 2016 approved the expansion of the scope of existing DMIC-Project Implementation Trust Fund (PITF) and re-designated it as National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT). Accordingly, NICDIT is under the administrative control of DPIIT for coordinated and unified development of all the industrial corridors which are at various stages of development and implementation. Secretary, DPIIT is the chairman of NICDIT with CEO, NITI Aayog and other Secretaries to Govt. of India as its members.

All the corridors namely Delhi — Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Amritsar — Kolkata Industrial Corridor, Bengaluru — Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor and other corridors in future will function under the administrative control of NICDIT.

An Apex Monitoring Authority under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister has been set up to periodically review the activities of NICDIT and progress of the projects. It consists of Minister-in-charge of Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Minister of Railways, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Minister of Shipping, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Chief Ministers of State concerned as Members.

Each industrial city /node in the Industrial Corridors is envisaged to be implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in the form of a company set up under the Companies Act, as a joint venture between Govt. of India represented through NICDIT, and the respective State Government, in the manner approved for NICDIT (earlier DMIC Trust). The Board of the respective SPV’s is chaired by Principal Secretary (Industries)/Additional Chief Secretary (Industries Dept.) of the respective State Govt.(s).

Progress of the Industrial Corridor projects is being monitored by DPIIT on a regular basis and the project is also being reviewed as part of the Project Monitoring Group (PMG), within DPIIT on a regular basis.

Why in News

Government has approved the development of the five industrial corridor projects which will be implemented through National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).

NICDIT is an apex body under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry for coordinated and unified development of the 5 Industrial Corridors in India.

In 2017, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project Implementation Trust Fund (DMIC-PITF) was re-designated as National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).

NICDIT supports project development activities and appraisal, approval and sanction of projects. It also coordinates and monitors all central efforts for the development of Industrial Corridor projects.

Why Industrial Corridors

Industrial corridors offer effective integration between industry and infrastructure, leading to overall economic and social development. Industrial corridors constitute:

High-speed transportation network — rail and road

Ports with state-of-the-art cargo handling equipment

Modern airports

Special economic regions/industrial areas

Logistic parks/transhipment hubs

Knowledge parks focused on catering to industrial needs

Complementary infrastructure such as townships/real estate

Other urban infrastructure along with enabling policy framework

The 11industrial corridors are spread across India, with a strategic focus on inclusive development to boost industrialization and planned urbanization.

Manufacturing is a key economic driver in each of these projects. Industrial Corridors are expected to play a critical role in raising the share of contribution of the manufacturing sector from approximately 16% to 25% by 2025.

in each of these projects. Industrial Corridors are expected to play a critical role in raising the share of contribution of the manufacturing sector from approximately 16% to 25% by 2025. Smart cities are being developed along these corridors. These cities, with state-of-the-art infrastructure, will house the new workforce that is required to power manufacturing, in turn leading to planned urbanization.

11 industrial corridors being developed in the country and would comprise 30 projects that would come up in four phases till 2024–25.

Of these, five projects- Dholera Special Investment Region, Shendra Bidkin Industrial Area, Integrated Industrial Township Greater Noida, Integrated Industrial Township Vikram Udyogpuri and integrated Multi Modal Logistics Hub at Nangal Chaudhary- have already been taken up ..

Boosting Growth: India’s PCPIRs — Make In IndiaBoosting Growth: India’s PCPIRs

3 Years ago India’s Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions are engines of growth for Make in India.

India’s Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals industry is well established and has grown steadily over the years. The industry is crucial for the development of manufacturing sector in India as it provides building blocks for various downstream sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, textiles etc.

In FY 2016–17, the country produced 6,740 thousand Metric Tonnes (MT) of major chemical products (till November 2016), registering an annual growth of 3.2%. Petrochemicals sector registered an annual growth of 7.2% by producing 10,423 thousand MT of basic petrochemicals in FY 2016–17. 1

India’s chemical sector is expected to become a USD 226 Billion industry by 2020, growing from a USD 147 Billion industry in 2015.

Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR) were conceptualised to sustain the growth of the sector by providing quality infrastructure, competitive business environment and Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The PCPIRs would bring together manufacturing facilities, logistic and other services, required infrastructure, residential and administrative areas etc. They are envisaged to generate better efficiency on account of using common infrastructure and support facilities.

Currently, four coastal states host PCPIRs in the country. 4Each PCPIR will have one refinery or petrochemical company as an anchor tenant along with other manufacturing units. It can also include already existing industrial parks. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and export units.

Since the announcement, the states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have created PCPIRs which are at the different stages of implementation. All projects have created combined employment of around 273,000 in these regions. 7 Each PCPIR has an investment region of about 250 sq. km with at least 40% of the area dedicated to the processing activities. Till September 2016, all four PCPIRs have attracted investments worth USD 26 Billion from various oil and gas sector giants. With these investments, significant infrastructure is expected to be created at PCPIRs.

Prominent companies in oil and gas sector such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) and Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Limited (NOCL) have joined PCPIRs as anchor tenants by investing heavily in the infrastructure of the region. The respective state governments have also taken an initiative to boost infrastructure at PCPIRs through various nodal agencies.

Strategically positioned to the east of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), the PCPIR at Dahej, Gujarat has received infrastructure investment of USD 2.42 Billion from Gujarat Infrastructure Development Corporation (GIDC). The anchor tenant ONGC has invested USD 4.07 Billion in the project which is expected to create total employment of 90,000 once completed.

At Paradeep, PCPIR in Odisha, USD 1.47 Billion has been invested in basic infrastructure while IOCL has already commissioned a 15 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA). 12PCPIR at Andhra Pradesh covers six Special Economic Zones (SEZs). These units have already made investments of approximately USD 5.38 Billion. Further, around USD 284 Million has been invested in the infrastructural development of the PCPIR.

India’s long coastline and large refining capacity will further complement the growth of the PCPIRs. The current infrastructure and facilities in the PCPIRs are being marketed through various exhibitions, road shows and interactions in order to attract investments from foreign as well as domestic players. Upon its completion, the four PCPIRs in India are expected to attract investments worth USD 117 Billion and create 3.4 million jobs. 14

The 2019 PCPIR Rejuvenation Study, orgnized by FICCI and their knowledge partner Mott MacDonald, highlights the continuous development of Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR), its current scenario and government’s roadmap for policy interventions to rejuvenate investment in PCPIRs. It has stated that India is the sixth largest producer of chemicals in the world and contributes 3.4% to the global chemical industry. The chemicals market in India has grown at 3% over the last decade. The industry comprises of 13.38% of manufacturing GVA and 2.39% of National GVA which employs about 2 million people.

The Government of India adopted a policy in 2007 to set up Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR). Currently there are four identified regions — Dahej (Gujarat), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradip (Odisha) and Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu). However, due to a wide range of issues (ranging from overall infrastructure development to project financing), attracting investment to Vizag, Paradip and Cuddalore has been relatively challenging in comparison to Dahej. Considering the overall scenario, the government has now planned for policy interventions to rejuvenate investment in PCPIRs.

The Indian Chemical & Petrochemical Industry is currently witnessing a rapid expansion. The untapped potential of this industry needs to be addressed which holds the power to bring a revolution in the country. The industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% from USD 163 billion to USD 304 billion market by 2025, which not only emphasizes the important role it can play in the growth of Indian economy but to become the global leaders in petrochemicals and emerge itself as world’s next manufacturing hub.

The PCPIR Rejuvenation Study connotes the chemicals market in India has grown at 3% over the last decade, current development and policy interventions to rejuvenate investment in PCPIRs.

The government’s initiative towards successful implementation of Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR), shoring up existing infrastructure to world class level is truly commendable.

Smart Cities

The Government of India has launched the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June 2015.

RIL report on smart cities .

• The objective is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.

• The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a lighthouse to other aspiring cities. The Smart Cities Mission is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country.

• Some of the core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation, including solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, especially for the poor, robust IT connectivity and digitalization, good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly and health and education.

• The strategic components of the Smart Cities Mission are city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (Greenfield development) plus a Pan-city initiative in which Smart Solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city.

• Area-based development will transform existing areas (retrofit and redevelop), including slums, into better planned human settlements, thereby, improving liveability of the whole cities. Development of well-planned and fully serviced new areas (greenfield) will be encouraged around cities in order to accommodate the rapidly expanding population in urban areas. Application of Smart Solutions will enable cities to use technology to improve infrastructure and services.

• Comprehensive development in this way will improve quality of life, create employment and enhance incomes for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, leading to inclusive cities.

Selection Process

The selection process of Smart Cities is based on the idea of Competitive and Co-operative Federalism and follows a Challenge process to select cities in two stages.

In January 2016, based on the All India Competition, 20 smart cities were selected in Round 1 (Annexure-I). 13 more Smart Cities were selected in May 2016 in fast track round (Annexure-II).

In Round 2, 63 potential smart cities participated of which, 27 Smart Cities have been selected in September 2016 (Annexure-III).

In Round 3, 45 potential smart cities participated of which, 30 Smart Cities have been selected in June 2017 (Annexure-IV).

In Round 4, 15 potential smart cities participated of which, 9 Smart Cities have been selected in January 2018 (Annexure-V).

A total investment of Rs.2,01,981 crore has been proposed by the 99 cities under their smart city plans. Projects focusing on revamping an identified area (Area Based Projects) are estimated to cost Rs. 1,63,138 crore. Smart initiatives across the city (Pan City Initiatives) account for the remaining Rs. 38,841 crore of investments.

The implementation of the Smart Cities Mission is done by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be set up at city level in the form of a limited company under the Companies Act, 2013 and will be promoted by the State/UT and the Urban Local Body (ULB) jointly both having 50:50 equity shareholding. After selection, each selected Smart Cities have to set up SPVs and start implementation of their Smart City Proposal, preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), tenders etc.

The SPV will convert the Smart City Proposal into projects through Project Management Consultants (PMCs) and implementation thereafter.

Smart Cities India is all set to become the most-populous country in the world by 2030, making it the home to the biggest and the most under-penetrated market for global manufacturers and service providers. Unlike its preceding generations, this growing population is also shifting to top tier cities of the country giving rise to new megacities estimated to generate 80% of economic growth, with potential to apply modern technologies and infrastructure, promoting better use of scarce resources.

As per estimates, about 25–30 people will migrate every minute to major Indian cities from rural areas in search of better livelihood and better lifestyles. With this momentum, about 843 million people are expected to live in urban areas by 2050. To accommodate this massive urbanization, India needs to find smarter ways to manage complexities, reduce expenses, increase efficiency and improve the quality of life.

With this context, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision “Digital India,” has set an ambitious plan to build 100 smart cities across the country. Modi in his speech quoted, “Cities in the past were built on riverbanks. 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.”

The Government of India allocated INR70.6 billion (US$1.2 billion) for Smart Cities in Budget 2014–15. Given the sheet scale of the development plan, the public resources would largely be insufficient and the government is working on envisaging new financing routes to boost the program.

The government machinery is working on putting together the standards for executing this mega plan, and identifying the cities to be developed in consultation with states. A few smart cities are already coming up across the country, including Kochi Smart City, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Ahmedabad, Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Lavasa in Maharashtra and Wave Infratech’s 4,500-acre smart city near New Delhi.

India has also been inviting foreign partnership in developing the smart cities and has signed deals to build eight cities — three with Germany, three with the US, and one each with Spain and Singapore.

India’s Smart City plan is part of a larger agenda of creating Industrial Corridors between India’s big metropolitan cities in India. These include the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor and the Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor. It is hoped that many industrial and commercial centres will be recreated as “Smart Cities” along these corridors. The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), which is spread across six states, seeks to create seven new smart cities as the nodes of the corridor in its first phase.

Interestingly, these corridors are developed by the Indian Government in collaboration with foreign governments who are keen to find their domestic private enterprises new avenues of investment. Japan is helping India develop its smart cities by investing US$4.5 billion in the first phase of the DMIC project through lending from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA has also taken up master planning for three “Smart Cities” — Ponneri in Tamil Nadu, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Tumkur in Karnataka — in the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor. The UK is collaborating with India for developing the Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor project with the help of private companies from Britain.

Eight critical pillars of India’s Smart City Program are:

1. Smart Governance: Investments of about US$1.2 trillion will be required over the next 20 years across areas such as transportation, energy and public security to build smart cities in India. Highlights:

US$1.2 billion allocated for smart cities and FDI norms relaxed

US$83 million allocated for Digital India Initiative

PPP Model to be used to upgrade infrastructure in 500 urban areas

Smart City projects to create 10–15% rise in employment

Ministry of Urban Development has plans to develop 2 smart cities in each of India’s 29 states

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd (DMICDC) plans seven “smart cities” along the 1,500 km industrial corridor across six states with a total investment of US$100 billion

2. Smart Energy: Three crucial dimensions of smart energy systems are: Smart Grid

Electrification of all households with power available for at least 8 hours per day by 2017

Establish smart grid test bed by 2014 and smart grid knowledge centre by 2015

Implementation of 8 smart grid pilot projects in India with an investment of US$10 million

Energy Storage

Addition of 88,000 MW of power generation capacity in the twelfth five year plan (2012–17)

India needs to add at least 250–400 GW of new power generation capacity by 2030

The Power Grid Corporation of India has planned to invest US$26 billion in the next five years

Smart Meters

India to install 130 million smart meters by 2021

3. Smart Environment: Three crucial dimensions of ensuring sustainable development are: Renewable Energy

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has plans to add capacity of 30,000 MW in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012–17)

Water and Waste Water Management

The Indian Ministry of Water Resources plans to invest US$50 billion in the water sector in the coming years

The Yamuna Action Plan Phase III project for Delhi is approved at an estimated cost of US$276 million

Sanitation

About 67% of the rural population continues to defecate in the open, and India accounts for about 50% of the world’s open defecation

The Government of India and the World Bank have signed a US$500 million credit for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) project in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh

4. Smart Transportation: The Government of India has set ambitious targets of developing public transportation system to support the ever growing urban populace. Green Transport

The Government of India has approved a US$4.13 billion plan to spur electric and hybrid vehicle production by setting an ambitious target of 6 million vehicles by 2020

Electric vehicle charging stations in all urban areas and along all state and national highways by 2027 Railways

Metro: Ministry of Urban Development plans to invest more than US$20 billion on the metro rail projects in coming years

High Speed Rail: The proposed 534 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project will have an investment of around US$10.5 billion

Monorail: India’s first monorail project at Mumbai will cost around US$500 million, of which US$183 million has been spent on phase I

5. Smart IT & Communications: Information and Communications Technology

Cloud computing will evolve into a US$4.5 billion market in India by 2016

Broadband connections to 175 million users by 2017

Security and Surveillance

Under the flagship “Safe City” project, the Union Ministry proposes US$333 million to make seven big cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad) to focus on technological advancement rather than manpower Disaster Management

The Government of India and World Bank signed US$236 million agreement for reducing disaster risks in coastal villages of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

6. Smart Buildings:

India is expected to emerge as the world’s 3rd largest construction market by 2020, by adding 11.5 million homes every year

The Intelligent Building Management Systems market is around US$621 million and is expected to reach US$1,891 million by 2016

Smart Buildings will save up to 30% of water usage, 40% of energy usage and reduction of building maintenance costs by 10 to 30%

7. Smart Health Hospitals

Health budget up by 27% in FY 2014–15 to US$5.26 billion, with special focus on improving affordable healthcare for all

To establish six new AIIMS like institutes and 12 government medical colleges in the country

Accessible, affordable and effective healthcare system for 1.2+ billion citizens

Insurance

FDI limit in the insurance sector increased to 49% from 26%

Insurance industry has potential to reach US$1 trillion by 2020

Medical Devices

Indian medical devices market to reach US$11 billion by 2023

100% FDI allowed in the medical devices sector under the automatic route

Wellness

Indian wellness industry is expected to reach around US$16.65 billion by 2015

8. Smart Education: The Government of India has allocated US$13.95 billion in the Union Budget 2014–15 for the education sector, up by 12.3% from the previous year.

Budget has allocated US$78.5 million to set-up five new IITs and five new IIMs

The Ministry of Human Resource Development plans to have 1,000 private universities for producing trained manpower to meet services and industry requirements

100% FDI allowed in the education sector

India’s online education market size expected to be US$40 billion by 2017

RIL MEGA City

RIL has a new ace up it’s sleeves which could well be the urban infra game changer India was waiting for.

RIL is tying up the last loose ends in its blueprint for setting up a megacity in the vicinity of Mumbai.

It is going to be Reliance Group’s single biggest “projects within a project” initiative, where every component of a project will be a project in itself.

RIL’s megacity will be developed on the lines of Singapore. It will have airport, port and sea link connectivity. Once completed, the city will accommodate over half a million inhabitants and thousands of businesses.

The project is expected to draw in as much as $75 billion in investments over the next ten years.

Changing the urban infra game

RIL is likely to roll out his new brainchild on a massive, never-before-seen scale. It would be a Jio redux — the mega 2016 launch that had all India gasping in wonder in its wake. In terms of affordability and quality of product.

In terms of affordability and quality of product, Ambani’s mega city could match the Jio phenomenon, experts have said.

By all measures, this new Reliance project is likely to script a new chapter for India, primarily because it could recast the whole urban infrastructure scene.

Mumbai may be a changed place after this megacity comes, said the story. It will likely lead to reverse migration as property prices in the new city will be lower than in Mumbai, it added quoting a top real estate analyst.

The most significant aspect of this project is that Reliance will not only develop the project but also will run the administration after the city comes up, says the story. This will be possible due to the ‘special planning authority’ licence that Reliance has been handed for the landmark project.

This licence, apart from reducing red tape and transaction time, will enable RIL to sharply — even dramatically — bring down the costs involved.

Project history: The Dhirubhai link

It was Dhirubhai Ambani, the legendary founder of the Reliance Group, who had first come up with the idea of setting up a world-class city in Navi Mumbai. He had thought of a project on these lines as early as the 80s — a project for linking South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai by road. The plan, had it succeeded, would have decongested Mumbai long back.

Reliance had announced early last month about its leasing of 4,000 acres of land from Navi Mumbai SEZ (NMSEZ) for an initial payment of Rs 2,180 crore to develop an economic hub on a global scale. NMSEZ had been given this land in 2006 to develop a world-class SEZ.

NMSEZ is promoted by RIL, Jai Corp India, SKIL Infrastructure Ltd and City and Industrial Development Corp (CIDCO). CIDCO holds 26 per cent stake in NMSEZ, while the rest is held by RIL, Jai Corp promoted by Anand Jain and Nikhil Gandhi’s SKIL Infrastructure.

In 2005, RIL joined forces with Nikhil Gandhi who had been buying land since 2000 with a view to setting up an SEZ on the lines of China’s mega SEZs. According to the BS story, the Tata Group was also interested in joining hands with Gandhi but was eventually outwitted by Ambani.

Then, in 2018, under the Maharashtra Industrial Policy, the state government permitted SEZs to migrate to Integrated Industrial Area and make available the land for industrial units. NMSEZ later applied and received the consent to convert the SEZ into the Integrated Industrial Area (IIA) as per the policy.

Modern Economic Township

Model Economic Township Limited was incorporated in October 2006 as Reliance Haryana SEZ Limited (RHSL). The company is a fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Ventures Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited and is engaged in the development of Model Economic Township (MET) in Jhajjar district of Haryana with an objective to make this industrially backward district as the business destination of North India.

MET project has received approval from the Government of Haryana to be established on the Industrial Model Township framework in the district of Jhajjar and adjoining areas of Gurgaon district where it owns over 8250 acres of land.

MET Project is envisaged as a fully integrated industrial township and will have industry clusters which will include Domestic Tariff Areas and SEZs with support infrastructure of logistics hub, rail and road connectivity and social infrastructure including residential, commercial, recreational and institutional development.

Strategically located in the National Capital Region (NCR) having strong connectivity to Gurgaon, Delhi and other Towns in the region and National Highways

Located at the western border of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD)

Located along the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) Expressway

Strategically located among in the industrial hubs of the region

RIL Smart City As A Service along with mPrest

Overcoming the Urban Digital Challenge

Over half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, and this figure is expected to reach over 70% by 2060. As Industrial IoT (IIoT) technologies become available, cities are undertaking smart city initiatives to provide residents with a safe, efficient and reliable digital infrastructure, enhanced quality of life and better economic opportunities.

Integrated, One-Stop Smart City Management Application

mCity is a field-proven smart city application that enables unified monitoring, analytics and optimization of multiple city domains. Using advanced algorithms and big data analytics, mCity creates new opportunities for municipalities to optimize resource consumption, improve decision-making and planning, engage residents and improve overall quality of life and services.

Based on a vendor-agnostic “system of systems” approach, mCity connects, integrates and leverages data from the vast number of diverse systems and IoT sensors that smart cities need to manage. It provides a holistic view of all assets and processes, while correlating multiple city disciplines and domains. A centralized dashboard, “drag and drop” rules engine, and simulation tools empower operators to address changing municipal needs.

Smart City as a Service for CSPs and System Integrators

mCity is also available as a SaaS application, enabling communications service providers (CSPs) and system integrators to drive revenue growth from smart city projects. This smart city-as-a-service option cuts implementation times from years to weeks, since there’s no need to create huge technical teams with the required domain expertise.

Key Benefits

Connect, integrate and leverage data from myriad sensors and systems

Fast time-to-market using pre-tested, out-of-the-box applications

Vendor-agnostic architecture maximizes adaptability and enables seamless integration with existing digital and smart city applications, new systems and sensors

Municipalities can “pick and choose” their components based on “best of breed” strategy

Flexible deployment options — on-premise or cloud-based (SaaS)

RIL Smart Villages

Sometime in early 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet put forth a plan for upgrading a cluster of 300 villages to ‘Smart Villages’. Christened as the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission, after the founder of the Jan Sangh, the project aimed to develop the first phase by 2019.

A sound plan, considering that at least 833 million, about 68%, of Indians are living in rural areas.

And one that can be easily realised in a developing setting such as India.

The baseline for smart communities is always constant, whether it is a city or a village. It’s how you use technology to better the lives of people.

The stress points of a city are very different from that of a village; and the quality of their life is perhaps the most prominent challenge in rural areas.

Here, we are talking about demands of basic decent life conditions — education, health care, environment and employment among others.

One should not look for the typical solutions that governments often resort to which have had little success over decades. If a government aspires to focus on education, instead of budgeting for an expensive school infrastructure, they could create units for smart learning in digital classrooms.

Pointed to obvious drawback that most villages lack the kind of Internet connectivity required, We are building back with complementary solutions. We feel it is much more scalable as a solution to offer remote education within villages with government support .

The same framework we are applying for health care where we are building to offer tele-medicine and mobile clinics in the village. Since India is an agrarian economy, we recommend services aimed at farmers. Apart from the consultation and support services, an exchange or an online platform is being set up at village centres that allows the farmers to sell their crops at the best prices to bring transparency.

Business model

However, even with pragmatic