India is urbanising at, what a Union Minister has termed, a very 'dramatic' clip. It today has 50 cities with a population of over one million. As per the 2011 Census, the total number of cities and towns in the country had increased to 7,936 from 5,161 in 2001.

Anumber of private players are venturing into the space of waste recovery through sustainable use of bio-degradable waste. KK Sharma, ED & CEO, Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd, speaks about the efforts of his company in this domain.

The 2014 report of the Planning Commission Committee chaired by K Kasturirangan found that 62 million tonnes (MT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) was produced per year, which is based on an average of 0.45 kilo per capita, per day, for IndiaÆs urban population.

Urbanisation is an inexorable process as far as India is concerned. The future of India's growth lies in its cities, and a large chunk of our GDP will come from urban centres.

New orders worth Rs 800 crore were received by SPML Infra Ltd for power substation, rooftop solar power plant, water & wastewater treatment and municipal solid waste management projects from different states in India.

Smart Cities support the comprehensive development of physical, institutional, social and economic urban infrastructure, improve the quality of life, protect the environment and create jobs for millions, says Deepak Premnarayen, President, Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC), and Chairman, FirstRand Bank India.

'Has the Mumbai Revised Draft Development Plan (RDDP) 2034 of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) taken into the consideration the urban reforms suggested in the Smart City concepts launched by the Central government?' asked a senior colleague in a typically criticising tone, while the RDDP was still being prepared. Having been a part of the RDDP core team, it was natural for me to go on a defensive mode.

Like the term 'middle-class', the term 'Smart City' also lacks a definitive definition with many seeking to define it on their own terms. A coherent definition eludes both. Having said so, just as we know how the term 'middle-class' is loosely defined, Smart Cities can be defined as sustainable cities with self-containing amenities and infrastructure which give a decent quality of life to the citizens.

The Smart Cities Mission ensures that systems and regulations that balance growth, business friendliness and public interest are in place, say Upendra Joshi and Shivanshu Thaplyal.