Smart Cities Mission Extended Until March 31, 2025.

In response to requests from various state and city government representatives for additional time to complete the remaining 10% of ongoing projects in smart cities, the Government of India has extended the Smart Cities Mission period until March 31, 2025. The Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced this extension in a press release on Wednesday.

The extension comes without any additional cost beyond the already approved financial allocation under the Mission. All ongoing projects are now expected to be completed by the new deadline.

Launched in June 2015, the Smart Cities Mission has introduced several innovative ideas in urban development, including competition among cities for selection, stakeholder-driven project selection, the formation of special purpose vehicles for implementation, and the deployment of technology and digital solutions to improve urban governance. Additionally, the mission has utilized third-party impact evaluations by premier academic and professional institutes.

Each of the 100 selected cities has developed a diverse set of projects, many of which are unique and being implemented for the first time, thereby enhancing the cities' capabilities and achieving broader transformational goals. According to MoHUA, over 8,000 multi-sectoral projects are being developed by the 100 cities, amounting to approximately ₹1.6 lakh crore.

ET