17th Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo 2024 Launched to Pioneer Standardized Urban Transport Solutions in India

The conference will conclude on October 27, 2024, with a closing ceremony chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Shri Manoharlal Khattar.

Today, Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Shri Bhupendra Patel, officially inaugurated the 17th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo-2024 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar. Joining him were Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Gujarat's Minister of State for Home and Transport, along with Shri Srinivas R. Katikithala, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Shri Raj Kumar, Chief Secretary of Gujarat, and senior officials from both central and state governments. The event also welcomed policymakers, heads of Metro Rail companies, transport executives, and international experts, amassing over 2,000 professionals and academics from across the globe.

In his keynote address, Chief Minister Patel emphasized India’s progress as the world’s fifth-largest economy, especially within the last decade, highlighting how urban, social, and economic sectors have laid a strong foundation for sustainable urban transport and city livability. He underscored recent infrastructure advancements focused on making urban transit systems more efficient and accessible across India.

Minister of State for Home & Transport, Shri Harsh Sanghavi, highlighted Gujarat’s dedication to urban transport, which is built upon the “Triple S” principles of being Sustainable, Sensitive, and Smart. Secretary of MoHUA, Shri Srinivas R. Katikithala, commended the UMI Conference as an essential forum that aligns with the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) of 2006, making it a vital platform for sharing and deliberating on national and international best practices in urban mobility. Key Highlights of the UMI Conference & Expo 2024:

Organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in partnership with the Institute of Urban Transport (India), the Government of Gujarat, and Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., this year’s conference runs from October 25 to October 27, 2024. Its central theme, “Standardisation and Optimisation of Urban Transport Solutions,” focuses on setting harmonized standards to optimize urban mobility within the Indian context.

Discussions throughout the event will span key areas, including:

Frameworks for integrating multiple urban mobility modes.

Multilateral and bilateral funding in line with India’s Make in India policy.

The role of big data in transport planning and the development of India’s E-Bus ecosystem.

Benchmarking costs for Metro systems.

Principles of digital public infrastructure in the context of transitioning to electric buses.

The importance of innovative financing, clean air initiatives, and urban freight solutions.

Particular attention is also being given to solutions for enhancing urban transport in India’s smaller towns, where standardization and optimization are crucial for establishing an effective system.

The conference will conclude on October 27, 2024, with a closing ceremony chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Shri Manoharlal Khattar. Joining him will be Union Minister of State Shri Tokhan Sahoo and Gujarat Transport Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi. During this ceremony, awards for the “Best Practices Project in Urban Transport” will be distributed, recognizing state and city authorities across nine categories for their innovation and excellence in urban transport solutions.

The 17th UMI Conference & Expo-2024 is poised to be a transformative event, shaping the future of urban mobility in India and beyond. The insights and recommendations generated here are expected to drive advancements in urban transport policy, standardization, and infrastructure development across the country.