Data-driven governance initiatives raise concerns over the privatization and commodification of urban data.
The Smart Cities Mission in India was introduced with the aim of enhancing urban governance through data-driven initiatives. It promised a new era where applications would facilitate the direct delivery of essential services such as certificates and official documents to residents. Additionally, it aimed to improve municipal revenues by enabling online property tax collection and billing for various services. Advocates claimed that urban services, including public transport, traffic regulation, and waste management, would significantly benefit from advanced data analytics and automation.
In pursuit of these goals, various cities like Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, and Surat have implemented a range of sensors, networks, and databases designed to gather data on public transport, traffic conditions, and solid waste management. Integrated Command and Control Centres across the selected hundred cities were expected to analyze this data, thereby automating urban services. Data dashboards were introduced to aid city authorities in monitoring their performance and enhancing decision-making processes.
Despite the initial enthusiasm surrounding the Smart Cities Mission, ten years later, its promises remain largely unfulfilled. Behind the appealing rhetoric, there is a growing concern that publicly funded infrastructure and data are being utilized to accelerate the privatization of urban governance. A notable example is Nashik Smart City, which is reportedly enhancing water management through advanced technologies, but the overall impact of such initiatives is still debated.
Moreover, the focus on data-driven governance persists in new urban programs. In 2021, the National Urban Digital Mission introduced a unified app called “Upyog” aimed at streamlining service delivery across towns and cities. This year, new Transport Stack projects were launched in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to develop public mobility apps intended for online ticketing and vehicle tracking. However, the broader movement toward urban digital data collection is not a recent development; it has evolved over several decades with previous efforts aimed at digitizing land ownership titles, property tax registers, and municipal records.
The National E-Governance Plan of 2006 gave initial momentum to these digital initiatives, but many states completed the digitization of citizens’ records only around 2020, with significant funding from the Smart Cities Mission. While the digitization process has made it easier for citizens to access necessary certifications and services online, the role of the Smart Cities Mission appears limited to enhancing existing frameworks rather than creating a new governance model.
The mission’s unique contribution lies in the development of digital infrastructure that collects data on vehicle movement, traffic violations, and waste collection. However, the effectiveness of these systems is questioned; for example, automated traffic regulation often falters during peak hours, and there is little evidence of improved access to public transport or efficient waste management practices.
Centralized data gathered through urban digital infrastructures is stored in the India Urban Data Exchange, which aims to serve as a resource for academia and industry. Yet, the lack of clear data laws raises critical questions regarding data access and monetization. Instances have emerged where companies leverage public transport data for commercial applications, highlighting the blurred lines between public resources and private enterprise.
While the transition to digital governance has brought about some efficiencies, many of these advancements are incremental outcomes of prior e-governance reforms rather than direct results of the Smart Cities Mission. As public funds are increasingly used to facilitate the commodification of urban data, the implications of such practices warrant scrutiny and could prompt a reevaluation of data-driven governance strategies in India.
