Visakhapatnam: The consortium led by US-based consultancy firm AECOM had just begun second phase of work under Vizag’s Smart City plans. Under the first phase supported by US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), US companies AECOM, KPMG and IBM evaluated the city’s infrastructure and identified sector-specific opportunities, and assessed institutional and regulatory frameworks.
Under the ongoing second phase an integrated Smart City master plan will be prepared. The master plan will not only recommend planning frameworks for the entire city, but also develop specific recommendations to grow four key urban centres.
The second phase of the Vizag's Smart City work also figured in the second India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue held at New Delhi recently.
External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired the dialogue with US Secretary of State John F. Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
Since the project was launched, a team of these US-based companies have begun to identify the planning and investments required for sustainable growth of the city, working toward the goal of making Vizag a clean commerce capital.
“This project has been impressive in achieving a balance between comprehensive urban planning - which will lay the foundation for long-term growth and identifying opportunities to improve the lives of Vizag’s citizens in the near term,” said USTDA director Leocadia I. Zak in a statement.
“We are certain that with the expertise of this exceptional team, and the ongoing commitment of our Indian partners, USTDA can continue to support Vizag in its ambitious Smart City objectives - an effort in which we are proud to partner,” she added.
AECOM’s chairman and CEO, Michael S. Burke, said that the company was proud to lead this important next phase of the Vizag work, in collaboration with KPMG and IBM, and made possible by the leadership of CM and his colleagues in Vizag.
