Third edition of Smart Asia 2019 Flagged off in Mumbai

by Suman Gupta

The three day event will focus on smart city solutions catering to energy & transportation challenges

Inaugurated by Amb. Mr. Chung-kwan Tien, Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India.

Mumbai, October , 2019: Smart Asia 2019, one of the largest events focussing on smart city solutions, smart technology applications, and city development products and services, was inaugurated at the Bombay Exhibition Center. Organised by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the expo was inaugurated by Amb. Mr. Chung-kwan Tien, Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India.

Held for the first time in Mumbai, after two successful editions in Bengaluru, the event brings together industry leaders in the smart city domain, and showcases solutions from some of the brightest players in Taiwan. Smart Asia 2019 will help in facilitating smart city solutions for Mumbai, in fields such as smart transportation, smart energy, smart water management, environmental sustainability, IoT solutions and more.

Ms. Emilia Shih, Executive Director, Exhibition Department of TAITRA said, “Building smart cities is a global trend. Reports show that half the global population now lives in cities, and more than two-thirds will be living in cities by 2050. Governments are beginning to focus on building smart cities with smart technologies to improve the lives of urban residents.”

“As the financial capital of the country and with the current power consumption trends, as well as issues pertaining to traffic and water management, it is imperative for Mumbai and its surrounding cities to adopt smart solutions of renewable energy to ensure a sustainable ecosystem. We believe that Smart Asia 2019, with its primary focus on smart energy, transportation and water management, is bound to make a lasting change in the region. Furthermore, with the long standing productive partnership between India and Taiwan, we are convinced that Smart Asia is able to cater to the ever evolving business needs of India with a mutually beneficial economic growth”, she added.

Amb. Mr. Chung-kwan Tien, Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India said, “Back in 2014, following the largest election in the world, my Indian friends said that this is a great opportunity for Taiwan to do business in India, and that we should not miss the bus. My response to that, was that we have always been on the bus, and will add more passengers to it! Today, I am proud to state that trade volumes between the two countries have increased six fold and stand at USD 7.5billion. It is also important to note that trade balance between Indian and Taiwan has always been healthy, and well balanced. Coupled with Indian hardware, Taiwanese software, and smart education, we can truly create smart cities in India, and improve the lives of countless citizens. I am honoured to be here today, and I take this opportunity to thank my Indian partners for everything. I would also like to congratulate Abhijit Banerjee for making India proud by winning the Nobel Prize for Economics.”

This year’s expo witnessed top Taiwanese brands like Acer, ASUS, Delta, Tron-e, and the Indian government exhibitors such as Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Limited, among others. Prominent names such as GVK, Lodha, Godrej & Boyce are some of the select key visitors expected to be part of the event. Moreover, at the India – Taiwan Smart City Summit held in parallel with the expo, R. T. Tsai, Vice President, Delta Electronics, a global provider of power and thermal management solutions, Debashis Sen, Additional Chief Secretary of West Bengal, Information Technology & Electronics Department, India, and Avinash Subhedar (IAS), Joint CEO, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) spoke about Smart City Collaborations between the two parties. This was closely followed by a session on Future Trends, Developments and Opportunities in Indian Smart Cities, moderated by Shankar Arumugham, Chief Operating Officer, Strategic Consulting, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Nepal, JLL.

The next two days will see insights and knowledge exchanged between dignitaries, exhibitors, and visitors. There will also be sessions on Digital Transformation for Smart Cities, Sustainable Urban Living and Smart Mobility for Smart Cities. The ‘Smart Mobility’ session is co-organized by two top Taiwan’s academic institutions in the transportation field, Advanced Public Transportation Research Center and Intelligent Transportation Society of Taiwan, during which distinguished speakers from Taiwan, Asian Development Bank and India will introduce their unique and exclusive research and experiences in future mobility.