The 29th Convergence India & 7th Smart Cities India 2022 Expo kicks off in New Delhi

The 29th Convergence India and 7th Smart Cities India 2022 Expo was inaugurated with a virtual address by Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India. The three-day expo taking place at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi and organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) & Exhibitions India Group is hosting approximately 800+ brands and more than 100 start-ups, along with participation from various government departments, public sector undertakings, and smart cities.

The inaugural session set the tone of an eventful day, with addresses from Kaushal Kishore, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India; Vibhu Nayar, IAS - Executive Director ITPO; Sandeep Narula, Chairman, Electronics & Computers Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) India; Gurmeet Singh, Executive Director, ESC India; and Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group; and Dhruv Behl, Director - Exhibitions India Group.

The first day was packed with 12 high-powered conference sessions with over 30 thought leaders. Apart from hosting a plethora of technology-redefining brands under one umbrella, day 1 of the expo also organized a series of keynote sessions and panel discussions with notable dignitaries across sectors. The conversations covered pertinent topics such as the readiness versus the reality of 5G in India, surge of OTT industry in the pandemic and its impact on growth, the future of Indian cities, and accelerating the modal shift to public and shared transport systems.

Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, addressed the gathering, “I’m really happy with the Smart Cities India and Convergence India 2022 exhibition and convention. It is going to qualitatively contribute to our vision for the development of a new India. I appreciate the expo’s vision for Smart Cities in India, particularly the fact that we are working to bring India to the world standard. I appreciate the role of the industry and the organisers of the expo and extend my best wishes to all.”

Speaking at the inauguration, Kaushal Kishore, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India in the context of the #SCI2022, said, “A fragmented approach to building smart cities is not a visible approach; we must strive to make whole cities smart. The vision of Smart Cities is not limited to creating infrastructure but also incorporates the idea of making every individual self-reliant. Smart City does not only mean infrastructure, electricity, and housing, it means adding to the income levels of families. We’re glad to see an event like this, providing a platform for such conversations.”

Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group, said "We are back with a physical event post a hiatus, and are glad to host industry stalwarts at the expo. The annual Convergence India and Smart Cities India Expo have provided an excellent platform for brands to showcase their work and network across technologies, innovation and everything that is smart and sustainable. We are glad to have been able to be back on ground and create an ecosystem of opportunities."