Smart city Ahmedabad? Ranking worst in India, 101st globally, other cities perform better

Global index ranking. Column B: 2016, Column C: 2015

By Rajiv Shah
A recent report by top British consultants, AT Kearney, with branches all over the world, has suggested that Indian cities have far to go in case they wish to become smart. Titled “Global Cities 2016 ”, the consultants seek to answer the question: “Which global cities are performing best today, which have the best long-term potential, and what makes a smart city?”
Seeking an answer to the question, in Global Cities Index, which examines a city’s current performance based on business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement, Mumbai ranks 44th of the 125 cities selected across the world, followed by New Delhi 61st, Bangalore 75th, Chennai 77th, Hyderabad 78th, Kolkata 84th, and Ahmedabad worst, 101st.
The report states, “The Index is designed to provide insights into the global reach, performance, and level of development of the world’s largest cities. It allows for the comparison of diverse cities to help draw unique conclusions about their shared strengths and core differences.”
In its second criterion, Global Cities Outlook, which seeks to project a city’s potential based on rate of change in personal well-being, economics, innovation and governance, Bangalore ranks the best of Indian cities, 73rd out of the 125 cities chosen, followed by New Delhi 76th, Hederabad 91st, Mumbai 93rd, Ahmedabad 94th, Chennai 98th, and Kolkata 110th.

Global outlook ranking. Column B: 2016, Column C: 2015

“Leading the Global Elite once again are London and New York City, which remain the only two cities in the top 10 of both the Index and Outlook”, the report says, adding, “For the second year in a row, San Francisco leads the Outlook, driven largely by its unparalleled strength in innovation. The city’s private investments, a proxy for venture capital, more than double that of the next highest grossing city, New York.”
In Index, the cities which make it to the top 10 are London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Chicago , Singapore, Beijing and Washington DC. In Outlook, other cities which are in the top 10 are San Franciso, New York, Boston, London, Houston, Atlanta, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Munich, and Zurich.
While the report ranks Karachi quite low in both Index and Outlook (85th in Index, and 99th in Outlook), the report makes a special mention of this port city of Pakistan. It says, “Karachi is perhaps the biggest surprise of the new entrants; this could be a testament to recent efforts by leadership to promote foreign investment into Pakistan.”
The report adds, “China and the United Arab Emirates have led recent investment activity into Karachi, which may be beneficial to both as regional business influencers.”
Five criteria – information exchange, human capital, business activity, governance, and personal well-being – forming the crux of the two set of rankings, Index and Outlook, the report believes, should make it possible to “provide clues as to what critical factors of a city’s performance today will aid in the transformation into a leading smart city of the future.”
“Cities with an engaged network of information-sharing, specialized talent, a vibrant economy, and policies that enable technology adoption and experimentation help to define today’s smart cities and can help others as they seek to adopt smarter policies for the future”, it underlines.

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog