India stands at an important juncture in the fast-changing landscape of urbanization, and the need for sustainable intelligent cities has never been felt as acutely as today. Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking in this direction is that of the Gujarat Dholera Smart City. Situated as India’s first greenfield smart city, Dholera promises much more than mere development dreams translated into reality. This future city promises to rewrite the very concept of urban existence, catalyze economic growth, and set a yardstick for smart cities not only within India but beyond its shores.
The Birth of a Visionary City
Dholera is a part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and is located in the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat. The DMIC is a 1,500-kilometer corridor housing a region of economic and industrious importance abreast of one of the busiest trade routes in India. Dholera forms an important part of this corridor and is fast being developed into a special investment region focusing on becoming an international hub for manufacturing and investments.
The vision for Dholera goes well into distances: designed to meet the needs of industries and businesses, and aspirations of residents seeking a high quality of life. The city is being developed in line with Government of India initiatives “Make in India” and “Digital India,” with an objective to attract investments from national and international investors. Dholera Smart City is abounding to manifest how technology, infrastructure, and governance can denote into one city of the future.
Location and Accessibility
One of the most realistic reasons for the probable success of Dholera is its unbeatable location. The city is some 100 kilometres away from Ahmedabad, therefore accessible by road and rail with ease. Then again, the proposed Dholera International Airport would further improve this connectivity to become a key entry point for international trade and investment.
The proximity to major ports such as Pipavav and Mundra gives it an added advantage in logistics and supply chain. Due to its location on the DMIC corridor, Dholera is favourably positioned to access larger markets inland and abroad. The city will be hooked to the DFC for fast movement of goods so as to cut down logistics expenses and improve competitiveness.
Smart Infrastructure: Spinal Chord of Dholera Infrastructure is the backbone on which Dholera rests for its transformation. No effort is left to build a city from scratch, mapping modern infrastructure with updated concepts of town planning.
Dholera planning as a city adopts the sustainability feature. It focuses on the most prominent elements of the whole urban planning-green area, conserving water, and energy efficiency. Be it wide roads, continuous cycling tracks, or even pedestrian-friendly areas, the master plan of the city is integrated with smart grids for efficient distribution of energy.
Utilities: One of the prime characteristic features of Dholera is its integration with smart utilities. Water management garbage disposal, and energy consumption will be closely regulated through the use of advanced technology. For instance, smart meters put up within the vicinity will continuously monitor water and electricity usage for any wastage in real-time, and consumptions are maintained optimally.
ICT-driven governance: The state of governance in Dholera shall be driven by ICT. From monitoring the flow of traffic to every public service, it shall follow a centralized electronic command and control centre. Every government-related service can be availed online by citizens, minimising bureaucratic processes and therefore enhancing efficiency.
Resilient Infrastructure: Dholera is being developed as a city capable of withstanding natural calamities, which include floods and earthquakes. Advanced disaster management systems have been incorporated by the planners of the city into its infrastructure in order to make it resilient and adaptable to changing environmental conditions.
Green Energy: Dholera is poised to become the renewable energy hub, home to one of the largest solar power plants in India. The integration of solar and wind energies will decrease the city’s carbon footprint and offer industries and residents alike a cleaner source of power.
Economic Opportunities: Shaping a Global Hub
Dholera is not just a smart city, it’s a smart business destination. The State Government of Gujarat is promoting Dholera as a global economic hub, attracting investment in areas such as manufacturing, electronics, defence, aerospace, and renewable energy. The initiative of developing the city is also aligned with “Make in India,” an initiative for scaling up India’s manufacturing capabilities with the concept of reducing its import burden.
Industrial Zones: Dholera SIR is a combination of industrial zones, each meant for a specific sector. With world-class infrastructure, high-speed internet, reliable power supply, and efficient logistic networks, it creates confidence for established companies and start-ups to invest in readily usable industrial land in Dholera.
Ease of Doing Business: The single-window clearance system has been introduced by the Gujarat government to facilitate the incorporation of businesses with ease in Dholera. This will definitely reduce red tape, increase the speed of approvals, and make it much easier to establish operations for investors. Planners of the town have also given an environment that is business-friendly, complete with policies to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.
Employment Opportunities: Many thousand job opportunities are likely to be created in Dholera covering almost all sectors. The city would require trained manpower to operate its high-tech infrastructure, and institutions of learning are planned, which would provide the necessary training and know-how to the inhabitants to live and work in a smart city environment.
Competitiveness Globally: Integrated into world supply chains and largely high-tech industries, Dholera will be one of the mainstays of the globe. Innovation, sustainability, and efficiency have been emphasized in this city to attract many multinational companies seeking a competitive edge in the global market.
Residential Development: New Standard of Living
But Dholera Smart City is not all about business and industry. It also promises to give high-class living standards to its citizens. Keeping sustainability, comfort, and convenience in mind, the residential zone will be made.
Smart Homes: The residential areas of Dholera would also provide smart homes, integrated with state-of-the-art modern technological advancements. Such homes would be able to provide automated systems for lighting, security, and energy management-related needs for comfort and convenience to their inhabitants.
Ecology-Friendly Living: The planners of the city have emphasized ecology-friendly living by providing large parks, gardens, and playing grounds. Dholera has been specifically designed to be an Ecology-friendly pollution-free city that guarantees its citizens fresh air and water.
Social Infrastructure: It would have world-class social infrastructure in the form of schools, hospitals, shopping centres, and entertainment. Dholera is being conceptualized to serve as an entire self-sustaining ecosystem with facilities for living, working, and playing, all within walking distance of each other.
Affordable Housing: While Dholera is being developed as a modern, smart city, the interest of various income groups has also been taken into consideration. The city offers residential options in affordable housing, which makes a house in Dholera attainable for every economic group.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
The vision for Dholera, though grand, is certainly a host of challenges. Building a smart city from scratch is complex and resource-intensive in nature. This said, some of the important challenges that must be resolved include:
Funding: The scale of the Dholera project requires a huge capital outlay. The initial finance has come from the government. Private investment will be highly essential in keeping this city’s development on track.
Sustainability: The growth of the city will have to go hand in hand with its sustainability. Dholera shall always be faced with the challenge of remaining ‘green’, renewable energy, and waste management for the conservation of resources.
Social Inclusion: It would be a challenge to make Dholera an inclusive city for all its citizens. The development of the city must keep in mind the concept of opening up opportunities for one and all, especially the marginalised and economically weaker sections of society.
However, the future of Gujarat Dholera Smart City Transforming Dreams into Reality looks pretty bright notwithstanding all these challenges. The city is already emerging as a role model for smart urbanization in India and will henceforth ensure new benchmarks for infrastructure, governance, and economic development in cities. Due to its strategic location and advanced technology, incorporating sustainability into all development aspects, Dholera is well on its journey to realize dreams into actuality.
Dholera Smart City will, over the future years, no doubt become one of the major drivers of shaping the urban fortunes of India and acting as a model for how cities could be built, considering 21st-century needs.
