Top 5 Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives by Government of India

The digital space in India is undergoing a major transformation and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the Digital India campaign, IoT India Magazine chalks down five major Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives taken by the Indian government. But before we dive into the top 5 IoT initiatives, here’s a bit of lowdown on the emergent IoT market share of India. According to reports, India is expected to capture 20 % share in the global Internet of Things (IoT) market in the next five years and the overall global market is estimated to touch US$ 300 billion by 2020. Another reports point out the IoT market in India is projected to grow at a CAGR more than 28.2 per cent during 2016-2022. Now, India already has a strong base in technology and the public-industry partnership is bound to bring about a monumental change. One of the most notable IoT initiatives for India will be delivering health, education and financial services to remote areas. Thereby, building a bridge between rural and urban India with IoT will be a landmark step in empowering millions in rural India and tackling.

Here are the top 5 IoT initiatives by Government of India

Policy on Internet of Things (IoT)

In a first for the Indian government, 2015 saw the roll-out of a draft policy on IoT that laid down the framework. Reports indicate India would share 5-6% of global IoT industry. Building on the vision of a secure, smart and connected IoT based system for the country, the Government has undertaken several research and development projects for assisting technologies. Foremost being the setting up of 100 smart cities in the country, second automating several industries such as energy, health, disaster management via remotely connected devices. The draft policy lists down the industry collaboration also -- “IT industry also has an opportunity to provide solutions, services and analytics related to IoT.” The policy would be implemented through a multi pillar approach, such as capacity building and incubation, R&D, and incentives and engagements.

Smart Cities

One of the most talked about initiatives by the Indian government, IoT will play a pivotal role in the Smart City project. The government has dedicated an investment of INR 7,060 crores crore on smart cities. The idea of a smart city is an urban centre where information technology is the key driving factor with many technological platforms such as automated sensor networks, data centres and many other. A smart city is one which is advanced in terms of its infrastructure, has sustainable real estate and the right communication among other features. Some of the key aspects shared by Indian Government’s draft policy on IoT pertaining to smart city are:

Smart parking
Intelligent Transport System
Smart urban lighting.
Waste management.
Smart city maintenance
Tele-care
Citizen safety
Smart Grid
Smart Energy
Water Management

Centre of Excellence for IoT in Bangalore by GOI and NASSCOM

Earlier this year, the Indian government in partnership with NASSCOM, DEITY along with TCS, Intel, Amazon Web Services and FORGE Accelerator launched a Centre for Excellence for IoT in Bangalore. “The COE facility will function as a platform for skill development and also an innovation accelerator to explore establish high end technologies to support government initiatives using IoT in areas like water, energy, agriculture, crime, safety and health,” R. Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM said in a statement. The COE will also act as a springboard for budding entrepreneurs to leverage new age technologies and address issues such as waste management, women’s safety, parking, electricity, water management.

Andhra Pradesh to become an IoT hub with first-of-its-kind policy

In a proposed project, Andhra Pradesh plans to turn into a IoT hub by 2020 and creating 50,000 jobs in IoT sector. Reportedly, as per the landmark policy, Andhra Pradesh government proposes to set up 10 IoT hubs and wants to attract 100 IoT companies to set up operations thereby creating a first of its kind IoT ecosystem in India. The program is aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as the IoT Hub in the country and grab a market share of USD 1.5 billion by 2020, as per the reports. So far, the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas and the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry have proposes a one of its kind IT incubation centre in Tirupati.

Tech Giants back Digital India Vision

One of the highlights of the Digital India campaign is the high level of interest evinced by tech giants to partner with Indian Government in the campaign. And the latest company to jump on the bandwagon is Juniper Networks with an astounding INR 6,700 crore investment for digital India drive. According to reports, the company is looking at schemes such as digitization and digital infrastructure for every citizen. Legacy tech giant Intel announced a slew of projects to back Digital India vision. One of its projects is aimed at accelerating digital literacy ‘Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur’ initiative. Another prominent voice lending support is that of John Chambers, Cisco Chairman. With major investments in Andhra Pradesh, Cisco is setting up Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation Centre in Visakhapatnam to promote regional innovation and to enable partners and startups to build solutions around IoE. As a slew of storied technology companies tie up with Indian corporates for developing new IoT and M2M solutions, the Digital India initiative is expected to enhance the focus on IoT in tackling the rural and urban challenges.