Elets Technomedia organised a three-day India Transformation Summit to highlight India’s growth and development. Shakti Leekha, Senior General Manager & Head Marketing – Illumination, Bajaj Electricals Ltd spoke on ‘the role of urban development and smart cities in India’s transformation’. He also spoke about Bajaj’s contribution to the smart cities mission.

“There is no denying that COVID era is a challenging time but we need to adapt adjust with the changes and move further. Hence, businesses and people have adapted to new normal and have resumed functions”, said Mr Shakti while beginning his address.

Adding on the impact of the pandemic he said, “Services and products like lighting, fans, are essential. We also were involved for smart city project in Maharashtra. The work for the project has resumed. Though we had a lull time because of the pandemic things are coming back on track now.”

“We are now realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of smart cities as integrated command and control centres (ICCCs) built under the mission posed as nerve centres to combat the pandemic”, said Mr Shakti. Further, he added, “The ICCCs have been helpful in controlling the city activities centrally and locally. Fortunately, we have been a part of the projects be it in Jaipur or Ahmedabad.”

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Mr Shakti, speaking on the initiatives by Bajaj and its contribution to smart cities mission, said, “Bajaj has been part of urban and rural transformation since its inception. One of the first smart cities was Jaipur which we did. It all started by sustainability as the driver and energy is the domain tapped first. Further, with the ICCC deployment and use of smart LEDs with dimming capabilities to look at the traffic load. Lighting has also been used with cameras for active monitoring and surveillance. Hence, we are moving towards lighting as a service model. So lighting is now beyond simply lighting.”

The transformation first step is LEDification. Power cables are being done underground to reduce power losses. The whole model is changing. Lighting is also being used to send signals. We have facade lightings like the ones at the Parliament and Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, etc. Therefore, the city communicates today and lighting is one of the major modes, added Mr Shakti.

Further, he said, “As first step is LEDification, on the consumption side we are trying to use more energy-efficient mechanism. Whereas, at the city and the transmission side, people are talking about laying power cables underground so that power losses can be declined.” Under efficiency mechanisms, the focus is not only to install LEDs but to monitor them and keep in check the regular maintenance, he added.

Concluding his address he said that the liveability aspect has also been looked at. Hence, we are looking into more of Area-Based Development (ABD), development of parks and more social space, etc.

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