VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is set to highlight its groundbreaking Smart City development projects at the 14th Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) 2025, scheduled for November 4–6 in Barcelona, Spain. The State’s innovative urban projects across four key smart cities will take centre stage, with a strong emphasis on AI-powered solutions for sustainable urban growth.
S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department, will represent India as a ‘distinguished speaker’ at the congress. Leading a three-member delegation, Kumar will be joined by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ketan Garg and Tirupati Municipal Corporation Commissioner Narapureddy Maurya.
The annual event, organised by Fira Barcelona with support from Spain, Europe, and the World Bank, is expected to draw delegates from over 850 cities in 130 countries. It serves as a global forum for advancing smart and sustainable urban development.
Kumar, a pivotal figure in India’s national Smart Cities Mission launched in 2015 during his tenure as Private Secretary to then Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, now drives Andhra Pradesh’s urban transformation efforts.
“The State government has rolled out extensive initiatives in urban development, housing, and mobility to foster economic growth, inclusivity, and sustainability, delivering world-class services to citizens. These efforts are gaining international recognition,” Fira Barcelona stated.
The SCEWC will provide a vital platform for Indian stakeholders from the government and public sectors to explore cutting-edge technologies and solutions for smarter cities and enhanced urban mobility.
Greater Visakhapatnam and Tirupati — two of Andhra Pradesh’s four designated smart cities — will showcase their achievements on this international stage. “Numerous smart cities worldwide offer valuable models that we can adapt for our urban local bodies, improving living standards through targeted smart interventions,” Suresh Kumar remarked.
In addition to the main congress, the delegation will participate in Government-to-Government and Government-to -Business meetings. They will also attend four parallel events — ‘Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress’, ‘Tomorrow.Building World Congress’, ‘Tomorrow.Blue Economy World Congress’, and ‘Barcelona Deep Tech Summit’.
This participation underscores Andhra Pradesh’s commitment to global best practices in creating inclusive, tech-driven urban ecosystems for the future.
