More clarity on smart cities will help, says Canadian Consul General

March 31, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:34 am IST - Hyderabad:

Canadian Consul General Sidney Frank seeks a clear definition of a ‘smart city’. --Photo: G. Ramakrishna

Canadian Consul General Sidney Frank seeks a clear definition of a ‘smart city’. --Photo: G. Ramakrishna

Canadian Consul General Sidney Frank feels the need for more clarity on what would constitute a smart city in India. Yet, the lack of a precise definition should not come in the way of improving the infrastructure.

“We don’t have a precise definition of a smart city,” he told The Hindu on Monday in Hyderabad, where he has brought a delegation of Canadian companies keen on participating in the smart city project.

Agreeing that “more clarity will be helpful,” Mr. Frank, who heads the Consulate office in Bengaluru, said there were so many areas where infrastructure needs to be improved in cities. These range from electrical grids to how cities handle waste, solid and water waste.

“I think it is possible to move ahead and don’t need to wait until there is a clear definition,” he declared, adding Canadian companies have the expertise in developing smart cities and ready to share it with Indian companies. In Canada, the development of smart cities, some of them consistently lauded as the most liveable in the world, was organic. They evolved with time, he said, pointing out that India’s challenge is to improve cities.

Stating that there is considerable potential of Canadian companies working with Indian firms in the areas of infrastructure, in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he said the new capital plans of AP obviously offers more opportunities. The Consulate wants to promote linkages between Canadian companies and Indian companies as well as government officials.

The expertise of the companies, many of them already in the country, is wide ranging from ports, airports, engineering services, planning, ICT (for smart cities), setting up connectivity, expertise in waste water management, energy grids and public private partnerships.

‘Bilateral trade may move ahead’

On the bilateral trade, he said the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries were expected to move towards finalisation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada next month.

“We are hoping that the visit will make a difference… if those agreements are finalised trade will grow significantly,” he said, adding the bilateral trade was Canadian $ 6.3 billion in 2014. It was a 9 per cent increase over 2013.

He also wanted immigrants from India to make use of the Express Entry, a new system introduced by Canada in January.

It is a much quicker way to get to Canada, he said, adding: “We choose people who are best qualified.”

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