NE BUSINESS BUREAU
GANDHINAGAR, OCT 27
Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Power Manohar Lal emphasized that, under the visionary leadership of Prime Ministeri Narendra Modi, India now ranks third globally in terms of operational rail networks. He added that India’s metro network is set to become the world’s second largest soon. The Minister also stated that urban mobility goes beyond merely transporting people; it involves creating systems that enhance citizens’ quality of life.
Addressed the Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition in Gandhinagar along with MoS @tokhansahu_bjp Ji. Urban Mobility goes beyond merely transporting people, it involves creating systems that enhance citizens' quality of life and under the visionary leadership of… pic.twitter.com/TM2eddGaLu
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) October 27, 2024
He was addressing during the valedictory session of the three-day Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2024, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar.
Manohar Lal highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision of “One Nation, One Card,” known as the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). This initiative, now adopted by most metros across India, is expected to be transformative for the urban mobility sector.
Union MoS, Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu praised the annual UMI conference, which has addressed urban mobility challenges in India since 2008. He expressed delight at the recent milestone of surpassing 10 million daily metro commuters in the country and reiterated the Prime Minister’s commitment to “Viksit Bharat 2047.”
The 7th UMI Exhibition 2024, organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in partnership with the Institute of Urban Transport (India) and with the support of the Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., was also a highlight of the event. Showcasing urban transport best practices from India and abroad, the exhibition featured the latest in urban transport technology and attracted over 2,200 delegates, including more than 50 international participants. With 76 exhibitors from the metro rail sector and public and private organizations—67 from India and 17 from countries such as Germany, France, and Spain—the event offered a major platform for both domestic and foreign manufacturers.
During the valedictory session, awards were presented to state and city authorities for “Excellence in Urban Transport.” Award categories and recipients included:
| Sl. No. | Award Category | Winner | ||
| City | Organisation | |||
| 1 | City with the Most Sustainable Transport System | Kochi | Kochi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. | |
| 2 | City with the Best Public Transport System | Bhubaneswar | Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) | |
| 3 | City with the Best Non-Motorized Transport System | Srinagar | Srinagar Smart City Ltd. | |
| 4 | City with the Best Safety and Security System & Record | Gandhinagar | Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation | |
| 5 | City with the Best Intelligent Transport System (ITS) | Surat | Surat Municipal Corporation | |
| 6 | City with the Most Innovative Financing Mechanism | Jammu | Jammu Smart City Ltd. | |
| 7 | City with Best Record of Public Involvement in Transport | Bengaluru | Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation | |
| 8 | Metro Rail with the Best Multimodal Integration | Bengaluru | Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. | |
| 9 | Metro Rail with the Best Passenger Services and Satisfaction | Mumbai | Mumbai Metro One Pvt. Ltd. | |
Manohar Lal, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, also announced Gurugram, Haryana, as the venue for the 18th UMI Conference & Exhibition 2025.
This year’s conference focused on the theme “Standardization and Optimization of Urban Transport Solutions,” aiming to harmonize standards for optimizing urban mobility in India. Discussions covered integrating various urban mobility modes, multilateral and bilateral funding in alignment with the Make in India policy, the role of big data in transport planning, the e-bus ecosystem in India, benchmarking metro system costs, digital public infrastructure, innovative financing, and other urban transport challenges. The conference also explored visions for clean-air cities, urban freight, and tailored urban transport solutions for small and medium-sized towns in India, underscoring the need to optimize and standardize urban transport solutions for efficient and effective systems.
Minister of Finance and Energy of Gujarat Kanubhai Desai, Minister of Housing and Urban Development of Odisha K.C. Mohapatra, and Secretary of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs Srinivas R. Katikithala, attended the event.
