Documentary film on India's Smart Cities Mission to premiere on Independence Day

A new documentary chronicling the "trailblazing journey" of India's mission to build Smart Cities will premiere on television on the occasion of Independence Day on Saturday.

The 44-minute film will focus on four cities -- Surat, Visakhapatnam, Pune and Varanasi -- exemplifying the focus of the project in various spheres like infrastructure, transportation, technology, renewable energy, restoration and preservation of heritage.

'The Next Frontier: India's Smart Cities' will premiere on August 15 at 6 pm on National Geographic channel, the network said in a statement on Friday.

Produced in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the film portrays how the Smart Cities Mission is creating the "next generation cities for tomorrow," it said.

The documentary also chronicles the trailblazing journey of the Mission that aims to transform Indian cities, the network said.

"With a rural to urban migration rate of 25-30 persons per minute, the World Economic Forum has predicted that 70 per cent of India's population may live in cities by 2050," the statement said.

Today, the country sits at the cusp of a transformation, primarily led by the need for modern living, technology and cultural urban migration, it said.

"The film offers a unique insight into these four exceptional cities as they rise to face the challenges of progressive India by thinking smartly," the statement said.

Anuradha Aggarwal, Head - Infotainment, English, and Kids, Star India, said, "Despite burgeoning population, India has been at the centre of this paradigm of development. Viewers will learn about how innovation and technology are catalysing the growth of our nation and playing an instrumental role in preparing for the needs of the coming future."

The Smart Cities Mission is an innovative initiative by the Government of India to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens. It initially began with 100 cities chosen from across the country.

Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said, "We hope this film deepens the understanding about India's Smart Cities Mission to the world. India is at the cusp of rapid urbanisation and our smart cities are harbinger of new ideas and transformative thinking in India's urban journey."