Data-driven cities: IT capital Bengaluru ideally-placed to be a model of digitisation, says Siemens report

Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, and (R) Sunil Mathur, MD & CEO, Siemens India

Cities in India can compete globally on parameters such as optimal use of resources, how we get around, ways to improve our productivity and well-being, according to the Atlas of Digitalisation, a data-driven index created by Siemens. The Atlas compares the transformation of cities around the world. Each city’s unique challenges—including traffic congestion, water availability, and air quality—have been given scores based on digitalisation readiness and digitalisation potential.

Sunil Mathur, MD & CEO, Siemens India, said, “Many cities in India have a huge potential to improve the quality of life and ease of doing business. While each city has its own unique challenges, the Atlas of Digitalisation and its study of Bengaluru gives a good reference for other cities to further improve on sustainability, mobility and opportunity parameters.”

Bengaluru features in the Atlas of Digitalisation along with global cities such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, Singapore, Dubai, Johannesburg, Los Angeles and Taipei. It is one of the world’s fastest growing cities, with a 47% surge in population density over the last ten years. Home to a third of India’s science and technology talent, it has the highest employability rate in the country, with a large proportion of tech-savvy early adopters. This gives Bengaluru a strong appetite to build a city that symbolises the world-leading services it delivers across the globe.

Robert HK Demann, head of Smart Infrastructure, Siemens, said, “Siemens has the digital technology innovations and extensive global expertise to transform cities. While Bengaluru is part of the Atlas of Digitalisation, we are engaging with stakeholders in multiple cities across India to implement integrated smart infrastructure solutions.” Siemens has already implemented digital solutions for city infrastructure. It is partnering with airport operators to deliver a range of projects.