AP’s Smart City Innovations to Be Showcased at Global Congress in Barcelona

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh’s innovations in urban development and smart city management will take centre stage at the 14th Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC-2025), to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from November 4 to 6.

Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department, S. Suresh Kumar, will represent India as a distinguished speaker at the global forum, which this year focuses on AI-powered Smart City solutions.

Suresh Kumar will lead a three-member delegation, including GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and Tirupati Municipal Corporation Commissioner Narapureddy Maurya. The event, organised by Fira Barcelona International with support from the European Union, Spain, and the World Bank, will bring together delegates from over 850 cities across 130 countries.

Under Suresh Kumar’s leadership, Andhra Pradesh has been driving transformative urban and housing initiatives promoting inclusive and sustainable growth. The organisers noted that the state’s efforts in urban planning, housing, and mobility are being recognised globally for providing world-class citizen services.

Greater Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, two of AP’s four Smart Cities, will showcase their technological and environmental achievements at the congress.

“The platform offers us an opportunity to absorb global innovations in building smarter cities and replicate proven models in our local bodies to improve citizens’ quality of life,” said Suresh Kumar, who earlier served as Private Secretary to then Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and was instrumental in designing the Smart Cities Mission launched in 2015.

Alongside the SCEWC, the AP delegation will attend four other international events — the Mobility World Congress, Building World Congress, Blue Economy World Congress, and the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit — aimed at strengthening government-to-government and business partnerships for future urban advancement.