Urban Transport Infrastructure July 2022

FEATURED STORY Indian Railways Innovation Policy - ‘Startups for Railways’

EXECLUSIVE INTERVIEW Bonny Simi, (Joby Aviation), Fransesco P. Lipartiti (Maccaferri)

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Bonny Simi

Head of Air Operations and People Joby Aviation

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Indian Railways Policy for Startups

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We won’t reach our climate goals without cleaner mobility

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VOL. IV / ISSUE 22

JULY 2022

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Transportation of people and commodities being a socio-economic criterion needs clean energy and the demand is kept on increasing with modernization. Consequently, generation of a fuel with safer, efficient, economic and reasonably environmental friendly features is the key issue towards fulfilling such demands.

Hydrogen seems to be an ideal synthetic energy carrier due to its lightweight, exclusive abundance and environmentally benign oxidation product (water). However, storage remains a big challenge.

In this communication, recent developments in the production of hydrogen fuel, applications and storage together with the environmental impacts of hydrogen as energy carrier are emphasized.

In this edition, we have covered in-depth analysis on the Indian Railways‘ new Innovation Policy for Startups to address the hundreds of problem statements raised by the Railways and why walking in Indian Cities are daily agonies for millions? We have covered interview of leading Industry leaders such as Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People, Joby Aviation and Francesco Paolo Lipartiti, Chief Operating Officer - ISEAP Region, Maccaferri Group.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH Indian Railways launches 'StartUps for Railways' Innovation Policy for young Innovators

DMRC seeks Rs2,700 crore loan from 18 Indian banks for Delhi Metro Airport Express Line

Indian Railways, the National transporter has taken an important initiative in the field of innovation through the participation of start-ups and other entities. Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched ―StartUps for Railways‖ in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi on June 13, 2022. This policy will bring scale and efficiency in the field of operation, maintenance, and infrastructure creation through the participation of a very large and untapped startup ecosystem.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC), which is facing a massive financial crisis since the Covid-19 outbreak, has invited bids from 18 public and private sector banks to raise a loan of Rs 2,700 crore for 15 years. The corporation has written to these banks, proposing to raise the loan for the purchase of ―Airport Express Line assets‖, and the banks willing to extend the loan have been requested to submit their bid. The loan amount would also be used to pay Reliance Infra subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Ltd. (DAMEPL).

Alstom appoints Olivier Loison as Managing Director for the India cluster Alstom has appointed Olivier Loison as the Managing Director for the India cluster with effect from June 2022.

He takes charge from Alain Spohr, who is retiring after 40 years of service with Alstom. Based in Bengaluru, he will be responsible for executing the Alstom in Motion (AiM) strategy, driving business expansion, as well as overseeing commercial and operational performance.

Adani New Industries to invest US$50 Billion in Green Hydrogen Ecosystem Adani, India‘s fastest growing diversified business portfolio, and energy super major TotalEnergies of France, have entered into a new partnership to jointly create the world‘s largest green hydrogen ecosystem. In this strategic alliance, TotalEnergies will acquire a 25% minority interest in Adani New Industries Ltd (ANIL) from Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL). The new partnership, centered on green hydrogen, is expected to transform the energy landscape both in India and globally..

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India to develop 11 multi-modal logistics parks in Bharatmala Phase-II Under the second phase of Bharatmala Project, the government has identified 11 locations across the country to set up multi-modal logistics parks, taking the total number of such facilities in the country from 35 to 53.

These locations are Udaipur (Tripura), Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Siliguri (West Bengal), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Bikaner (Rajasthan), Dighi (Maharashtra), Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Bidkin (Maharashtra).

NHIDC, IIT Roorkee sign MoU to work on new ideas and technologies in Highway Engineering National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee signed an MoU for sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering. The purpose of this MoU is to establish the basis of collaboration between both the parties such that the NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee can take up various activities of common interest such as sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering and other infrastructure works as per mutually agreed terms and conditions.

PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Rs15,767 crore Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 20th June 2022 has laid the foundation stone for the much-anticipated 148.17-km Bengaluru Suburban Rail project. The Bengaluru Suburban rail will span a total network of 148.17 km with 57 stations planned across four corridors in six directions of Bengaluru, which includes Kengeri (Mysuru side), Chikkabanavara (Tumakuru side), Rajanukunte (Doddaballapura side), Devanahalli (Kolar side), Whitefield (Bangarapet side), and Heelalige.

Indian Railways launches first private train on Coimbatore - Sainagar Route India‘s first private train, aimed at promoting domestic tourism, under the Bharat Gaurav scheme has been flagged off by Indian Railways from Coimbatore on June 14, 2022. The Train will run from Coimbatore North to Sainagar Shirdi and commence its journey at 18:00 hours and reach Sainagar Shirdi at 07:25 hours with stoppages at Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Yelahanka, Dharmavaram, Mantralayam Road and Wadi. The train has a stoppage at Mantralayam Road station for 5 hours to facilitate darshan at Mantralayam temple.

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World Bank approves US$245mn loan to improve India's Railway Freight sector The World Bank has approved a loan of USD 245 million to support India‘s efforts to modernize rail freight and logistics infrastructure. The Rail Logistics project will help India shift more traffic from road to rail, making transport – both freight and passenger – more efficient and reducing millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) each year. The project will also incentivize more private sector investment in the railway sector.

PM Narendra Modi dedicates Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor to the Nation The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the main tunnel and five underpasses of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor Project on June 19, 2022. This Corridor project is an integral part of the Pragati Maidan Redevelopment Project. The Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project has been built at a cost of more than Rs 920 crore, entirely funded by the Central Government. It is aimed to provide hassle-free and smooth access to the new world-class exhibition and convention centre being developed at Pragati Maidan, thereby facilitating easy participation of exhibitors and visitors in the programs being held at Pragati Maidan.

Tata Projects started construction work for Noida International Airport at Jewar Tata Projects Limited commenced construction work of Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh. The work started with the celebration of the groundbreaking ceremony at the site on June 24, 2022. Noida International Airport‘s passenger terminal has an efficient layout, convincing design language, multiple high-quality areas spaced out with lush greenery, and a balanced concept for both energy savings and a tangible sense of sustainability.

The design complements customer comfort with sustainability and timeless design with flexibility for future needs.

DMRC and DTC join hands to build state-of-theart bus terminals across Delhi The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has signed an MoU with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to develop state-of-the-art bus terminals across the national capital region. According to the MoU, the first phase of the project will be carried out at Nehru Place, Najafgarh, Azadpur, Mehrauli, and Narela. The spots have been identified jointly by the DTC and DMRC. As per the agreement, the DMRC will be implementing these projects from the conceptualization to the commissioning stage.

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Jupiter Wagons and CAF join hands to set up metro rail coach facility centre in India Kolkata-based mobility solutions provider Jupiter Wagons Ltd (JWL) is planning to enter into the metro rail business, metro coaches and similar urban rapid mass transit systems along with mainline high-speed trains in India. The company has entered into a partnership with Spanish Rolling Stock manufacturing firm CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) and is planning to set up a manufacturing facility at an estimated investment of around Rs300 crore.

German bank KfW to fund Rs4,000 crores for Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project German Bank KfW Bankengruppe has committed to provide an ODA loan of €500 million (approx. Rs 4,000 crore) for the 148-km Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP). The project implementing body Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited (KRIDE) said that it worked for the last six months to get the necessary clearances and present the project to international funding agencies. KfW's pre-appraisal missions visited the city and conducted spot assessments in March.

Rajendra Prasad takes charge as Managing Director of National High Speed Rail Corporation Senior technocrat and an officer of Indian Railway Services for Engineers 1986-batch Rajendra Prasad has assumed the charge of Managing Director, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) with effect from July 7, 2022 in addition to his present duties as Director (Project) at NHSRCL. Prasad is working as Director (Project) with NHSRCL since November 2017 and is overall in-charge of civil engineering works of the MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed Rail Project, popularly known as the Bullet Train Project.

DB India to Operate and Maintain Trains on India's first Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has taken a path-breaking step by entering into a first-of-itskind agreement on July 1, 2022, with Deutsche Bahn India for the comprehensive operation and maintenance of the 82 km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor for a period of 12 years. Deutsche Bahn Engineering and Consultancy India Pvt Ltd (DB India) is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, National Railway Company of Germany.

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Featured Article

Indian Railways launches Innovation Policy for Startups

I

ndia is witnessing an exponential growth in technology sector. Products and industry solutions, developed by industry and entrepreneurs using emerging and evolving next-gen technology tools like IoT, big data analytics, cloud computing, drones, MEMS, composites, Shape memory alloys etc. are now being widely used by various sectors in the country.

Various Government of India initiatives like Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, Make in India – Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, Innovations for Defence Excellence etc. provide an enabling framework for motivating and encouraging Indian entrepreneurs and innovators to come forward for development of innovative technologies, products and technological solutions to address technological needs of various sectors in the country.

With the objective of harnessing technological, economical and operational benefits offered by next-gen innovative and emerging technologies and also promote Startup culture in the country, Indian Railway intends to engage with the entrepreneurs, technology developers and innovators, through Startups, to get low cost user friendly reliable products and solutions for use on Indian Railways

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Salient details of Indian Railway Innovation Policy  Grant up to Rs. 1.5 Crore to innovator on equal sharing basis with provision of milestone-wise payment.  Complete process from floating of problem statement to development of prototype is online with defined time line to make it transparent and objective.  Trials of prototypes will be done in Railways. Enhanced funding will be provided to scale up deployment on successful performance of prototypes.  Selection of Innovator/s will be done by a transparent and fair system which will be dealt through online portal inaugurated today by Minister of Railways.  Developed Intellectual property rights (IPR) will remain with innovator only.  Assured developmental order to innovator.  De-centralization of complete product development process at divisional level to avoid delays.

network. Considering the major constraint of capital inadequacy in Startup ecosystem, primarily in the seed and ―Proof of Concept‖ developmental stage, this policy aims at providing necessary seed fund support, of up to Rs. 1.5 Cr (on matching contribution basis), to the Startups showing capability, intent and promise to produce functional prototypes, based on new innovative concepts, for potential use on Indian Railways.

The Startup for Railways policy lays down a broad framework for engagement of Ministry of Railways with Innovators for development of technology, products and need based solutions for Indian Railways.

Objective of the Policy a) To develop cost-effective, implementable, scalable solutions, functional prototypes and innovative products for addressing Quality, Reliability and Maintainability related issues of IR and improving the same through specified usage of the developed products and innovative solutions by IR. b) Leveraging new innovative technologies, developed by entrepreneurs and Startups, for improving Operational efficiency & Safety on Indian Railways. c) Promoting „Innovation Culture‟ in the country for cocreation and co-innovation in the Railway sector.

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Eligible Organizations / Beneficiaries a) Startups, as defined and recognized by Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. b) Any Indian company incorporated under the Companies Act1956/2013, primarily a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) as defined in the MSME Act, 2006. c) Individual innovators and R&D institutions are also encouraged to apply. d) Any partnership firm, company or LLP incorporated under relevant laws Policy Framework – Process Workflow a) Complete process, from initiation to completion, will be dealt online through a dedicated Indian Railway Innovation Portal. b) Efficiency & Research Directorate of Railway Board shall be the nodal directorate for policy implementation and process execution. The directorate will be responsible for steering the complete process, starting from identification of technological needs to defining problem statement and finally piloting the project for adoption of the developed product / technology on IR. c) Technological needs of IR, for improving operational efficiency and safety and for addressing reliability, maintainability and cost related issues shall be identified by E&R Directorate in consultation with all stakeholders (all Directorates of Railway Board, Production Units, Zonal Railways, RDSO etc.).The Problem Statements, seeking technology proposals from Innovators, will be uploaded on the IR Innovation Portal (in public domain). Technology proposals shall be accepted through IR Innovation Portal only. Meity/iDEX/Startup India portals will be used by IR for uploading Problem Statements and inviting Proposals, till IR Innovation Portal becomes functional. d) Problem Statements shall include technical and functional requirements specific to IR application environment, categorization of intended use as vital or nonvital or safetycritical and non safety-critical, expected service life, access for maintenance requirements, assured quantity of developed product to be supplied in scaling-up stage (if achieved), regulatory compliances involved (if any) and other details including specifics pertaining to third party interfacing of the product/technology, being developed, with the existing IR infrastructure or assets.

This is essential for proper technical understanding and appreciation, of the intended use of the product, by the Innovators. e) Stage-1: Duly filled in format (IP Form-1) shall be submitted by the Innovators along with the detailed proposals.

The proposals submitted by the Startups/Entrepreneurs, through IR Innovation Portal, in response to the Problem Statements uploaded on the Portal, shall be compiled by E&R Directorate after 30 days of the date of uploading of the Problem Statement. E&R

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Directorate shall process the proposal(s) for preliminary evaluation and assessment by PEC (Proposal Evaluation Committee) which shall comprise of ED(E&R), ED/(FX) and ED of Technical Directorate dealing with the specific area (theme) against which the proposal has been submitted. PEC can co-opt SAG/JAG officer(s) having experience/domain expertise/knowledge of the subject from RDSO, zonal railway, PUs, CTI etc. The proposals shall broadly be evaluated on parameters like Functionality, Economic viability, IR‟s experience with similar technologies/products already in use on IR and other railway systems in country, educational background and R&D capability of Innovator(s), cost, scalability options, criticality in terms of interfaces with existing 3rd party systems on IR and existing supply chain capacities that can support the technology during mass production and wider proliferation on IR. In case the PEC feels that requisite domain knowledge for proper evaluation of the Innovator‘s proposal is not available with Indian Railways, ED(E&R) shall arrange for necessary technical inputs/advise/recommendations from domain experts from academia/ Industry /Other R&D organizations/ Center of Railway Research (CRR), as required on case-tocase basis, to assist in proper evaluation of the offered technology/product. Engagement with external domain experts, if any, shall, however, not impact the specified proposal evaluation timelines. Process of preliminary scrutiny and shortlisting of proposals shall be completed by PEC within 15 days from the date of initiation of the process. f) Stage-2: PEC shall advise shortlisted Innovators to submit complete details, as may be necessary for detailed comprehensive technical and financial evaluation of the proposed product/solution within 15 days of intimation by PEC. Detailed presentations before PEC by the shortlisted innovators shall also form a part of this activity. Duly filled in format (IP Form-2) shall be submitted by the Innovators along with the detailed proposals. Detailed technocommercial evaluation of the proposal shall, amongst others, include factors like Operational and technical compatibility of the offered product/technology with the existing IR track-side infrastructure and rolling stock assets in service, interoperability and scalability aspects, maintainability and manufacturability aspects, manufacturing capacity and capabilities available in the country for taking up batch-production for uninterrupted supply in case the product is adopted by IR for regular use.

PEC shall include following aspects, amongst others, while evaluating the proposal: (i) Educational background of Innovators/Core team, (ii)Past experience, (iii) Innovation content (iv) Technical & Operational Feasibility (v) Maintainability (Access, Ease, periodicity) (vi) Economic Viability including Life Cycle Cost. Weightages shall be assigned for each of these key aspects as decided by PEC on case to case basis.

Evaluation template (IP Form-3). g) Innovators shall submit the details of the Cost of

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development to PEC. Break-up of the Developmental Cost shall include (i) Expenditure on proving out the concept, (ii) Cost of building Prototype(s), (iii) Cost of Prototype testing & validation on test beds (or in virtual environment / simulation / analysis etc.), (iv) Certification Costs, if any and (v) any other cost arising out of regulatory and statutory compliances as per the extant rules applicable for the category of product / technology in the country. All this information should be captured in IP Form-2. h) Project milestones (proposed stages during project execution) shall be clearly indicated in the proposal submitted by Innovator for evaluation by PEC. Proposal submitted by Innovator shall provide clear linkage between Project deliverables, timelines (Milestones) and proportionate expenditure estimated in the project. All this information should be captured in IP Form-2. i) PEC may select more than one proposal for any problem statement for acceptance. In such case, committee should ensure that methodologies and solutions offered by Innovators differ. j) PEC shall have freedom to take necessary inputs, as and when required, from other stakeholders (including ZRs/PUs/RDSO/Industry/Academia/Govt. R&D Lab etc.) provided that this exercise will not impact the proposal evaluation timelines. k) Divisions, Workshops, Production Units, Centralized Training Institutes, Zonal Training Centers etc. will perform as outreach agencies of Ministry of Railways.

These shall provide first-hand feel of the problem area to the Innovators and provide necessary hand-holding to the Innovators for understanding the complexities of the intended application of the product. l) Process of detailed evaluation of the techno-commercial proposal, submitted by the shortlisted Innovators, shall be completed by PEC within 15 days from the date of technocommercial presentation before PEC. Selection of Innovators for collaborative working with Indian Railways a) As elaborated in above paragraphs, Innovators shall be selected through an open, transparent and fair process. b) Based on comprehensive techno-commercial evaluation of the Innovator‘s offer and joint deliberations with Innovator‘s team on case specific technical and commercial issues, as elaborated in above paragraphs, the PEC (Proposal Evaluation Committee) shall accept / reject the proposal. In case the proposal is rejected, the detailed reasoning for the same shall be recorded and communicated to the proposer (Innovator) in writing by ED(E&R). c) Once proposal is accepted by the PEC, an appreciation note containing details and recommendations in favor of shortlisted proposals/innovators shall be put up by ED(E&R) to Board (Chairman & CEO) for information & approval. The Letter of Acceptance (LoA) shall be issued

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by E&R Directorate (Railway Board) and communicated to the Innovator. This activity shall be completed within 15 days of acceptance of proposal by PEC. d) Innovator shall thereafter be required to sign contract agreement for the project. e) Funding Scheme will be on Cost Sharing Basis in equal proportion i.e. 50:50 by IR and Innovator. Maximum amount of grant of up to Rs. 1.5 Cr can be given per Innovator. Even for cases where the total cost of project exceeds Rs 3.0 Cr, the funding from IR shall be limited to a maximum of Rs. 1.5 Cr only. The exact quantum of grant and installments for each Innovator shall be decided by the PEC, based on its evaluation. f) Rejection of a proposal for one Problem Statement does not disqualify the Innovator from submitting proposals for other Problem Statements.

Project Execution Guidelines a) Considering the location of Innovator and also the relevance of the product /technology being developed to the railway operations, a Railway Division shall be nominated by the PEC for carrying out Proof of Concept trials and subsequent extended trials, as and where necessary, for establishing the product performance in field environment. b) The sanctioned Project shall be transferred to the nominated Railway Division under a communication from Railway Board (issued by ED(E&R)) for further execution, monitoring and field evaluation. c) DRM of the nominated division shall nominate a team of two JA Grade officers, comprising of concerned Branch Officer dealing with the subject viz. Sr.DEE, Sr.DEN, Sr.DME, Sr.DSTE, as the case may be, and a Divisional Accounts officer for facilitating and providing necessary handholding and field support to the Innovator for smooth execution of the project. Necessary support in terms of infrastructure, data, manpower etc., as decided during Project Evaluation stage, will be given on ―Best Effort Basis‖. ED(E&R) will arrange for any other type of support, if not available in nominated division. d) DRM of the nominated Division shall have full authority to release funds to the Innovator (executing the project) based on achievement of pre-decided milestones. e) The disbursement of fund shall be linked to the Predecided milestones. For this purpose, the project execution stages should be divided in a minimum of 4 (Four) milestones and maximum amount of disbursement at any milestone shall not exceed Rs. 25 lacs. Milestone-based installments (disbursement amount) should strictly be as per the PEC pre-approved grant-release schedule linked with each of the milestones as per IP Form-2. Milestone shall be related with project deliverables like development of prototype, testing and validation of prototype and completing other activity milestones as per agreement between the Innovator & ED/E&R (Ministry of Railways)

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OPINION

f) The divisional team, through DRM, shall maintain close liaison with Railway Board (E&R Directorate) for any policy guidance or policy intervention / assistance and keep Railway Board updated of the milestone based progress in the project. Details of the Milestone-based Installments released to the Innovator shall also be advised to Railway Board (E&R Directorate) after completion of each milestone. All communication related with the project shall be made by the DRM of the nominated division directly with E&R Directorate/Railway Board. g) JA Grade committee of division shall release milestonebased installments except the final installment which shall be released by DRM. For releasing of final tranche of grant (installment), detailed joint presentation (& report) by innovator & divisional team shall be made to DRM. Once DRM is fully satisfied with the project delivery/development of desired product/technology, disbursement of final tranche of grant shall be released. h) DRM shall issue a Field Performance Report (in an annexed proforma IP Form-4) jointly signed by JAG committee, Innovator & himself and the same shall be forwarded to Railway Board (E&R Directorate). i) Based on DRM‟s report, confirming successful deployment & performance of prototypes in field, the approval/sanction for scaling-up the deployment in the same nominated division(or any other division, if required) shall be communicated to the nominated Division by ED(E&R)/Railway Board. Scaling up shall enable IR in gaining further confidence and establishing product reliability for wider proliferation or large-scale pan-India deployment on IR network. Quantum of scale-up in each case shall be decided by PEC, duly considering the inputs and feedback from the nominated Division, cost & type of product, scalability etc. Cost of scaling-up work will not be more than the two times of the grant of that particular project. j) Based on PEC‟s decision on quantum of Scale up, an appreciation note shall be put up by ED(E&R) to Railway Board (Chairman & CEO) containing details about successful execution of 1st stage of the Project and the decision of the PEC for scaling–up in the Project for approval. The sanction of work will be communicated by ED(E&R), Railway Board to all stakeholders within 30 days of PEC‟s decision.. k) The sanctioned work shall be transferred to the nominated Railway Division for further execution, monitoring and field evaluation. Nominated division will place orders for supply and commissioning of the products by the concerned Innovator. l) If PEC perceives that scale-up trials should be conducted in other division/s, ED(E&R) will intimate quantity & location of other division/s with sanctioning of scaled-up work. In such cases, these divisions will send performance reports to nominated division, which will then arrange for payment of whole supply and compile the complete report. m) Final report of extended trials shall be submitted by the nominated DRM to E&R Directorate (Railway Board).

Total duration of field trial (extended trials) shall in no case WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

exceed 12 months. DRM of the nominated division shall ensure that the timelines are adhered to. n) PEC shall hand over the trial report, extended trial reports, technical & user specifications of product, learnings from the project etc. to the concerned Board Member for taking decision regarding adoption or otherwise of the developed product/technology for regular use on IR network.

Funding mechanism a) As indicated above, a grant would be provided to a selected Innovator in milestonebased installments. The exact quantum of grant and installments for each Startup shall be decided by the PEC, based on its evaluation. b) Full authority to release funds to the Innovator (executing the project) shall be with the DRM of the Division nominated by the PEC for execution of the project. The disbursement of fund shall be linked with the pre-decided milestones and can be related to project stages like development of prototype, product testing and achieving deliverables as per agreement between the Innovator and ED(E&R) (Ministry of Railways). c) Innovator shall execute a legal agreement with Railway Board (E&R Directorate) before release of first installment.

Startups shall ensure that the necessary terms and conditions, including milestones related to funding requirements are clearly detailed in the agreement. d) At each milestone, Innovator will submit interim progress report and complete details of expenditures incurred exclusively for the project with audited Utilization Certificates to initiate the release of installments of grant, subjected to verification/audit by DRM/PEC (Railway Board). e) Innovator will receive the funds in their company bank accounts (personal bank account in case of individual innovator). f) Funds shall strictly be used for the purpose it has been granted for. It shall not be used by the Innovators for creation of any facility. g) Innovator shall submit final report and audited utilization certificate at the end of the project duration. For failed ventures, Innovator will share their learnings and reasons for failure in the report and submit the same along with the utilization certificate for the fund amount. h) If at any stage, the Divisional team of the nominated division finds that the Innovator is not able to make progress in the project, as per the milestones mentioned in the joint agreement signed between the Innovator& Ministry of Railways, or that the project is not progressing, as planned, it can, through DRM, recommend for short closure of Project and the recommendations, forwarded by the DRM of the nominated Division, shall be considered

by Railway Board (PEC) for acceptance or otherwise. i) In case of short closure of project, there will be no claw back of the grant amount already given to the applicant.

However, the Innovator shall be required to submit an audited report giving details of expenditure incurred during URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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the project. j) No earnest money will be charged from the Innovators for participation in this scheme. k) The selected Innovator will not be eligible for grant/assistance under other Central/State Govt. run schemes for startups like Startup India Seed Fund Scheme etc. for the same project/idea. l) Following activities cannot be funded through Grant: (i) Cost overruns (ii) Cost of land and buildings (iii) Writing of books or reports or collection of statics or service (iv) Establishment of new R&D centers (v) Investment which are not related to Project execution (vi) Interest, (vii) Bad debts (viii) Contributions or donations (ix) Fines and penalties (x) Advocacy & business development (xi) Loss from other businesses or commercial operations (xii) Expenditure incurred by applicant before approval of project (xiii) Re-financing (xiv) Anything other than the purpose for which the grant has been approved.

without the prior approval of the Government. The marchin rights of the Government shall be subject to the payment of/royalty fee by the Government or the concerned production agency as per the terms stated in clause (3) above.

5) Conformance to IPR regulations, as legislated from time to time and applicable in the case, shall be ensured.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Management

Expressing his happiness on launch of this initiative the Minister said that through this platform start ups will get a good opportunity to connect with Railways. Out of over 100 problem statements received from different divisions, field offices/zones of Railways, 11 problem statements like rail fracture, headway reduction etc. have been taken up for phase 1 of this program. These will be presented before the start ups to find innovative solutions.

1) The ownership of IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) generated under the project shall be owned exclusively by the Innovator. However, it can be extended to include any associates as joint owners only after obtaining prior approval from Railway Board (E&R Directorate).

2) Indian Railways shall retain Government Purpose Rights (GPRs) which shall be exclusive, transferable, irrevocable license to use the IP (Intellectual Property) for internal consumption or manufacture.

3) The Indian Railways may use the GPRs mentioned hereinabove, to manufacture either directly or through subcontractor for use of Indian Railway. In case of exercise of this right, the Government shall be liable to pay royalty fee for use of GPRs in intellectual property/ technology/ product. Clause on royalty of up to 2% of the supply cost per manufactured unit with a cap on total maximum royalty payable of up to 10 times the cost incurred by the Innovator, in developing the product/technology, will be included in the contract with Innovator, if Government or its sub-contractor uses the intellectual property for Indian Railways.

4) Indian Railways, through any of its duly authorized officers, shall have ―March-In‖ Rights for all items covered under its GPRs for reasons of national security and other strategic reasons. ―March-In‖ Rights shall include the right to work the patent, either by itself or by another entity on behalf of the Government, in cases where (i) the Innovator fails to work the patent on its own within a specified and reasonable period of time (ii) the effective management and control of the Innovator is taken over by a foreign company

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This policy is considered as an important initiative in field of innovation through participation of start-ups and other entities.

Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched ―StartUps for Railways‖ on June 13, 2022 in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.

This policy will bring scale and efficiency in the field of operation, maintenance and infrastructure creation through participation of very large and untapped startup ecosystem.

Speaking at the event, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the long going discussions over integration of technology into Indian Railways have taken today the firm shape in form of this initiative launched today.

Railway Minister requested the startups to use this opportunity and ensured them of support from Indian Railways in form of 50 percent capital grant, assured market, scale and ecosystem. ***

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We won’t reach our climate goals without cleaner mobility  Riccardo Puliti, Vice President (Infrastructure), The World Bank

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o scenario to contain global warming is possible without urgent and distinct action in the transport sector. This is a sector that is often overlooked in the climate equation, but it shouldn‘t be. Currently responsible for 20% of global GHG emissions and rapidly increasing, transport is something that impacts everyone, everywhere.

The good news is that the tools needed to curb emissions from transport already exist. Some of them - such as enhanced public transport options, active mobility, zeroemission vehicles, and green fuels – are being implemented

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in many countries. Global sales of electric cars doubled between 2020 and 2021, reaching 6.6 million vehicles, nearly 9% of the global auto market.

But the bad news is that climate-smart transport options are still too much concentrated in the developed world. The shift is less tangible in developing and emerging countries.

Simultaneously, GHG emissions from transport in lowand middle-income countries have more than doubled since 2000 and are likely continuing to rise rapidly as motorization and the demand for increased mobility balloons.

If this continues, the world is at risk of explosive growth in transport-related emissions that could be catastrophic for climate action efforts. Without bucking this trend and bringing transport decarbonization strategies to more developing countries, we also run the risk of creating a ―green divide‖: a two-tier world where high-income countries benefit from the transition to cleaner, greener, more modern fuels and transport options, and low-income countries remain trapped in the past.

One way to prevent the acceleration of this green divide is to stop making developing countries a dumping ground for old cars exported from high-income countries. From 20152018, 11 million used vehicles were exported to developing countries from high-income countries. Only 28 developing countries regulate the emissions or safety standards of these clunkers. As a result, most used vehicles exported to

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Climate-smart transport options are still too much concentrated in the developed world. The shift is less tangible in developing and emerging countries.

CASE STUDY

African countries are between 16 to 20 years of age and have more than 125,000 miles on the odometer. This has risky implications for road safety and pollution.

ongoing and expanding efforts to decarbonize transport in developing countries.

For instance, in Egypt, we worked with the government to turn in, scrap and recycle 45,000 aging taxis, making travel by taxi safer and reducing emissions by 310,000 tons of CO2 over a 4-year period. Upgrading fleets in this way can bring decades of benefits by averting long-term commitments to systems based on gas-powered vehicles.

And in cities as diverse as Lima, Abidjan, Dakar and Manila, The World Bank is collaborating with local authorities to create bus rapid transit lines. In the right setting, these can be excellent solutions because they replace congestion-causing private vehicles with cleaner public buses. They improve connectivity, reduce commute times, and enable more people to gain access to more jobs and critical services – like schools and hospitals. And they connect with other climate-smart modes of transport that are prevalent in developing countries, such as biking and walking.

We know that projects like this can work, are replicable and help redefine the standard for what‘s acceptable in transport. The challenge now is to ensure that there is enough funding to make changes like these universal in developing countries.

For our part, The World Bank has become the largest provider of development financing for transport globally, and across our $31billion transport portfolio, 75% of projects now include climate co-benefits, which means they directly contribute to reducing countries‘ GHG emissions and enhancing climate resilience. We also established the Global Facility to Decarbonize Transport in 2021, which is dedicated to accelerating innovation and investment in climate-smart mobility solutions.

Transport, like climate change, is not going away. These two areas of global concern are inextricably linked. Right now, we need more stakeholders to join us our effort

Without serious change, this problem will worsen as lowand middle-income countries expect to double their vehicle fleets – mostly comprised of used, gas-powered cars - in the next 15-20 years.

Another solution is to ensure that cities in developing countries build transport systems that are efficient, safe, and inclusive at the outset, rather than trying to retrofit subpar systems later.

us our efforts to promote green transport systems. Our vision is to see more people biking, walking, and using public transport - but not as a last resort or for lack of a private car; but because it is truly the safer, more efficient, and more accessible option. ***

The World Bank is actively working with client countries on both challenges – among others — as part of our WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

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From All The Information Sources That You Trust …

INTERVIEW

Bonny Simi is currently Head of Air Operations and People at Joby Aviation. She is the former president and founder of JetBlue Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of JetBlue Airways with a growing portfolio of startups innovating in the travel industry.

Bonny joined JetBlue in 2003 and held several leadership, operational, and financial roles with the airline. She serves as a director for Red Lion Hotel Corporation and is a board advisor to two of JTV’s portfolio companies. Bonny was recently named one of Business Insiders’ 100 people transforming the world of business. She is also a three-time Olympian in the sport of luge.

Joby, founded in 2009 by entrepreneur and engineer JoeBen Bevirt, has developed an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that seats five people—a pilot and four passengers—and can travel at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. And it’s gotten the attention of investors and partners: Joby is one of a handful of eVTOL players that went public in 2021. It plans to launch its air-taxi service in 2024.

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Our focus currently is on passenger transportation.

However, our aircraft could also be used in a whole variety of ways. Think about an area that might be devastated from a hurricane or other natural disaster, where the airports are no longer available and the roads are inaccessible. Our aircraft can move in and land pretty much anywhere in an emergency situation to help transport people and medical supplies.

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Let’s look ahead to 2030. What do you imagine the passenger experience will be like in a Joby aircraft? What will people use eVTOL aircraft for?

Imagine waking up in the morning and thinking you could drive your car to work—but that might take an hour, an hour and a half. Instead, you just open up an app. A car picks you up and brings you to a heliport five minutes away. You ride in one of our aircraft. The flight takes ten minutes. At the other end, there‘s a car waiting for you.

The entire ride is seamless, convenient, and affordable.

Initially, aerial ridesharing will simply replace what people currently do. Perhaps it replaces a long commute on a train or ridesharing on the ground. But we believe adoption of

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INTERVIEW

aerial ridesharing will grow as people‘s lifestyles change.

Maybe people will work from home most of the time but go into the office one day a week, and they‘ll use our aircraft. Perhaps two people in opposite ends of a city can come together very quickly for an in-person meeting instead of doing it over Zoom, and they‘d take our aircraft.

Over time, people will move out into the more rural areas, because aerial ridesharing will make it possible to have short daily commutes into the city. This technology just completely changes how you think about work.

It can also change how you think about vacations. Getting to an island will be much quicker and easier. Getting from one side of a city or region to another, even over physical barriers—like mountains—will be much easier.

Our focus currently is on passenger transportation.

However, our aircraft could also be used in a whole variety of ways. Think about an area that might be devastated from a hurricane or other natural disaster, where the airports are no longer available and the roads are inaccessible. Our aircraft can move in and land pretty much anywhere in an emergency situation to help transport people and medical supplies. That could be one use case. Last-mile transportation of cargo could be another one. It‘s all about where the economics are going to be, and we believe initially that‘s in passenger transportation.

What geographic areas will likely be the early adopters of AAM? Will it be rural or urban areas? Will it be the Western world or emerging markets?

I think the early adopters will be in the large, dense urban centers where congestion is a real problem: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Singapore, Tokyo, perhaps parts of Brazil. As cities become denser and the roads become more and more congested, trains and buses won‘t be able to support everyone‘s transportation needs. Over time, though, AAM will be able to connect large metropolitan areas: San Francisco to San Jose, or Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. You ultimately can connect Nagoya to Tokyo, for example. And eventually, AAM will be bringing people from the rural areas into cities.

What are some of the major misconceptions people have about eVTOL aircraft?

One misconception is that these aircraft are noisy. But when we first bring people to see our aircraft fly, the very first thing they remark on is the sound—or the lack thereof.

It sounds, even in a hover, like the leaves on a tree. You almost don‘t hear it.

It isn‘t just the volume; it‘s also the quality of sound. When you think of a vertical-lift aircraft, like a helicopter, you hear that ―wop-wop.‖ You don‘t hear that with this vehicle at all. And that‘s one reason why consumer adoption will be so dramatic.

Another misconception is that aerial ridesharing will be expensive. Joby‘s vision is to save a billion people an hour a day—so we are planning for mass adoption. If you want to go from one end of town to the other, or perhaps between two cities, the cost of aerial ridesharing will be the same as ground-based ridesharing. Initially, it‘ll be a little bit more expensive, but gradually, as more people take air taxis and the network effects kick in, we‘ll get the price point down.

A third misconception is that these aircraft are drones.

That‘s not accurate: a drone is an aircraft that does not have a pilot in it. Our aircraft is piloted—it‘s very safe and it‘s easy to incorporate into the existing air-traffic system.

Our business model is built to be profitable around a piloted aircraft. Long term, at scale, we think we‘ll eventually move toward autonomous aircraft. That will take some time, and we‘re not betting our business model on it. But we are exploring autonomy, because to be truly ubiquitous we‘ll need to have autonomous aircraft.

Tell us more about the pilot experience. In a typical pilot training program, trainees have to learn about highaltitude aerodynamics, jet engines, and other things that don’t apply to flying an eVTOL aircraft. How are you thinking about pilot training and building the pilot pipeline?

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INTERVIEW

Bonny Simi: Our aircraft is very intuitive and easy to fly.

You can take off and land like a regular airplane on a runway, or you can take off and land vertically—like, on top of a building. It transitions from vertical flight to horizontal flight seamlessly. But our pilots will still need to operate in the regular airspace with other aircraft, so they‘ll be subject to the same pilot regulations. We‘re training them to fly in a regular general aviation aircraft first.

They‘ll then transition quickly to our eVTOL aircraft, build up their experience, and launch into commercial operations after they get their commercial license.

As you know, there‘s a pilot shortage, so we‘re thinking a lot about building a pilot pipeline. We‘ve partnered with educational institutions. We want to open up access to pilot training to communities that have never even thought about flying as a career. We‘re determined to make the pilot workforce much more diverse. We see this as a big social enterprise as well, and I‘m very excited about the directions in which our pilot academy is headed.

You brought up diversity. Our research has shown that, globally, less than 6 percent of airline pilots are female.

How does Joby plan to address that?

When I started flying a few decades ago, the percentage of female pilots globally was in the single digits. Sadly, it‘s still the same. Part of the problem is access; another problem is that it‘s hard to raise a family when you‘re traveling constantly.

At Joby, our aircraft is easy to operate, so the cost for pilot training is very low—which means we‘ll be able to open up pilot academies to a diverse population. Also, our focus is on urban air mobility, which means our pilots will be home every night! It makes for a family-friendly operation. We imagine that the workforce of the future for our aircraft will be very diverse, both in gender and ethnicity. So it‘s not only environmentally sustainable but also socially sustainable.

What else needs to happen to make Joby’s air-taxi service a reality?

As we think about building out the entire operation, it‘s not just building and certifying the aircraft. That‘s an important piece, and it‘s what most people are focused on, but we also have to build the infrastructure to run what will be the world‘s largest airline.

charge the aircraft. By the way, our aircraft completed a 150-mile flight in July 2021 on a single charge. As far as we know, that set the record for the longest eVTOL flight so far.

Do you think Joby aircraft will always be electric? Are electric aircraft the future of aviation?

A lot of people say the future of aviation is electric. I say, that‘s not the future—that‘s now. We‘re flying electric aircraft now. What comes next? We believe that hydrogen is next; perhaps first a hybrid of hydrogen and electric, and then ultimately pure hydrogen down the road.

If we think about long-haul travel, hydrogen is the longterm future. For urban air mobility—trips of up to 100 miles—I think electric is ideal. As you begin moving out to regional transportation, it might be a hybrid. And then even farther out than that, it might be pure hydrogen. We believe that in the aviation community broadly, hydrogen will be the standard by 2050.

What’s your biggest and boldest prediction about where AAM can go?

At Joby, one of our values is ―reimagining possible.‖ So when I think of bold, audacious goals, one is that we will be the largest airline in the world by departures by 2030.

Think about that: 1,000 aircraft operating dozens of takeoffs and landings every day. That will make us ubiquitous in the community. Our aircraft will just be a part of people‘s everyday life.

What‘s scarier to you—getting on an eVTOL aircraft for the first time or going down the luge track?

Luge and bobsled are not unlike piloting. I actually see a lot of parallels: it‘s very much about precision, safety is always paramount, you go fast. But for the riders, trust me: the Joby aircraft is a much smoother ride. *** This interview is written based on a face to face conversation held between Robin Riedel (Certified Commercial Pilot, McKinsey) and Bonny Simi at Joby’s facilities in Northern California, USA.

Part of the infrastructure, of course, is the charging infrastructure. We‘ve designed the aircraft for a very quick charge. Our normal stage length—the distance that we‘ll fly the aircraft—will be about 25 to 50 miles. It takes just about the same amount of time to charge the aircraft as it does for people to get off and for a new set of passengers to get on—so, roughly five to seven minutes. For flights that are longer, like 150 miles, it could take up to 45 minutes to

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Rethinking Urban Transport For A Sustainable Future  Ashish Saini, IRAS, Indian Railways

The conventional approach to address urban transport problems has been to build more roads, but this has only encouraged more car-based traffic. As cities try to accommodate motorized transport, they tend to grow larger and become less dense by building low-density housing on the outskirts. This quick-fix solution leads to more traffic congestion on roads and lowers average speeds.

The ASI Framework Thus, there is a need to devise alternate sustainable solutions to the urban transport problem. A simple solution is to use the ASI (Avoid, Shift and Improve) framework, first developed in Germany in the early 1990s.

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he Delhi government recently announced that it would be mandatory for officials of the transport department and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to travel in public transport buses at least once a week, with an aim to encourage the use of public transport and to have a feedback mechanism to improve it further.

This focus on public transportation is a welcome development considering the fact that the city is facing several urban transportation-related difficulties, including traffic congestion, traffic accidents, and environmental degradation. These are mainly due to the rising population, rapid urbanization and increasing car ownership.

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Avoid means improving the efficiency of the transport system and reducing the need for motorized travel. A solid public transport network and transit-oriented development can help in reducing the need to travel and reducing the trip lengths.

Shift refers to moving towards more energy-efficient transport modes. Electrifying transport, using renewable energy alternatives and promoting active transportation (walking and cycling) are some of the ways to move in this direction.

Lastly, Improve focuses on investments in Research & Development to improve technology. This technology could help attain improved vehicle and fuel efficiencies, URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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OPINION

increased operational efficiency of public transport and progress in emergent technologies like electric mobility. We should also focus on using Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence to develop Smart Mobility solutions to these challenges.

Policy Instruments to Manage Demand Several public policy tools that aid in transportation demand management can support the ASI Framework.

The following paragraphs talk about four such instruments.

The first tool is congestion pricing, an extra charge car users have to pay for using the public infrastructure during peak hours. A good case study for seeing the power of this tool is the Stockholm Congestion Charge. Studies show that congestion in the city decreased by 30-50 percent on arterial roads once this charge was implemented.

Another tool is the setting up of Low Emission Zones.

These are areas within cities with various restrictions on the operation of polluting vehicles. For example, London‘s Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZs) reduced nitrogen dioxide levels by 37% compared to roads far outside the zone. The decision was taken by Delhi Transport Department to not allow diesel vehicles over ten years old and petrol vehicles over fifteen years old in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) is also a good example of using this tool.

The fourth and final tool is designing Dedicated Routes for public transport vehicles like the Bus Rapid Transport System. The main characteristic of public transport is its efficiency in moving a large number of people. Having a dedicated route through which buses can move and carry a significant proportion of individuals at a faster pace can help reduce travelling time and promote the use of public transport. The Ahmedabad BRTS, MyBus (Bhopal) and IBus (Indore) are successful examples of such dedicated routes.

Way Ahead India‘s urban transportation and urbanization policies have been supply-centric and need to move towards a demandcentric model to move more passengers for a given transport supply. While the efforts made by Indian cities like Delhi to tackle the menace of urban transport-related issues are praiseworthy, a comprehensive and systematic effort with a rethink on the way urban transport planning is done is a need of the hour. ***

The third tool that is very powerful and worth using is Parking Pricing and Regulations. While parking charges help deter car usage, inadequate and poorly managed parking facilities often force vehicle owners to park on the streets illegally. Illegal on-street parking leads to narrowing roads and more congestion. Thus, there is a need to ensure that parking facilities are well-regulated and illegal parking curbed. Beijing Municipal Government (BMG) has implemented a model that can serve as a good example.

The BMG developed a differential parking pricing system by creating three different zones within the city based on the traffic congestion in the area. This approach resulted in a significant reduction in on-road and off-road parking, thanks to the proper planning and strict execution by the authorities.

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URBAN INFRA BUSINESS SUMMIT AND AWARDS 2022 SEPTEMBR 9, 2022 | INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE | NEW DELHI

To celebrate India’s 75th anniversary of Independence with Industry leaders, Urban Infra Communication Pvt. Ltd. (India's first Infra PR, Media & Research Company) in collaboration with leading industries, corporates and media platforms, is pleased to announce the second edition of Urban Infra Business Summit & Awards 2022 (previously known as Rail Infra and Mobility Business Leadership Awards). This program will also honour and recognize industry leaders (individuals and corporates) for their extraordinary contribution in developing major infrastructure projects in nation-building through their innovative ideas, products, and services.

Apart from this, we will launch a special coffee table book dedicating “Top 75 Leaders Transforming India’s Urban Infrastructure” during the Summit & Awards.

KEY DATES     

Nominations for Awards (Closing Date): 25 July, 2022 Announcement of Awardees: 15 August, 2022 Delegate Registration: 1 June – 30 July , 2022 Awards Ceremony: 9 September, 2022 Venue: India International Centre, New Delhi

Eligibility & Nomination Guidelines  Nominations invited in two categories – Individual and Corporate  Nominations are open to all individuals/businesses (Govt./Non-Govt.) irrespective of their age and the size of the business.  The individual nominee should have either in working or retired from the capacity of senior management positions such as MD, CEO, Director, President, Vice President, GM etc.  The nominee must have at least one representative office/person in India and be engaged in development oriented infrastructure projects.  The nomination form must be filled out either by nominee or authorized representatives.  More than one nomination can be submitted from a company or firm.

Selection Procedure  The winners will be selected by a jury comprising of industry experts and our editorial advisory board.  The evaluation will be done based on their contribution and innovative achievements irrespective of the age of the person/business entity.  Criteria to be considered by the selection committee include use of latest innovation & technology , result-oriented products & solutions, strong leadership and outstanding track record in the Industry.  The winners will be awarded an artistic trophy along with a 'Certificate of Appreciation’ in presence of renowned industry leaders.  Profile of the winner may be featured in special Coffee Table book.

How to submit nominations

Nomination Fee*

Step 1: Fill Nomination Form Online Step 2: Receive Invoice for Payment of Nominations Fee Step 3: Pay Nomination Fee and Get Confirmation E-mail

INR 35,000 + GST, USD 500 (*100% nomination fee is refundable, in case of non-selection for the award.)

Launching of Special Coffee Table Book

INDUSTRY COVERED

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Rail & Metro

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City Infrastructure

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EPC & Construction

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PMC & Consultancy

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OEM & Dealers

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Allied Industry

SUMMIT THEME Investment, Financing and Business Avenues in Urban Railways, Infrastructure and Mobility Industry in India (Challenges & Solutions) TENTATIVE PROGRAMME AGENDA Session 1: (10.00AM – 10.30 AM) Key Note by Chief Guests from Nodal Ministries/Think Tanks Session 2: (10.30AM – 11.15 AM) Challenges faced by Government authorities in the implementation of major infrastructure projects related to railways, metros, transportation & urban infrastructure and solutions offered by private players.

(Participants: Mix of leaders from Govt./PSU (Metro Authorities/Transit Operators and Private Players) Session 3: (11.45AM – 12.30PM) Investment, Financing and Business Avenues in Urban Railways, Infrastructure and Mobility Industry in India.

(Participants: Mix of leaders from Govt./PSU (Metro Authorities/Transit Operators, Investors and Financing Bodies) Session 4: (12.30PM – 01.30PM) Role of Private Players in Urban Railways, Infrastructure and Mobility Industry in India.

(Participants: Private players offering solutions for the Rail, Metro & Urban Infrastructure Industry.)

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Featured Article

Walking in Indian Cities – A Daily Agony for Millions  Prof. (Mrs.) Geetam Tiwari, IIT Delhi

I

ndia is a land of walkers. An estimated 45 million walk to work daily, compared with a mere 54 lakhs who used motorised personal transport.

However, the infrastructure that is in place for road users is skewed against Non-motorised Transport (NMT), either pushing pedestrians to the margins of the road networks, or even worse, compelling them to jostle for space with motor vehicles, thereby exposing them to injury or death.

More as a norm than as an exception, pedestrians have no option but to walk on the carriageways designed for fastmoving motorised traffic exposing them to a high risk of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs). Yet, road and traffic regulatory agencies continue to invest in grade-separated, signal-free junctions, and elevated roads that are aimed at solving problems posed by vehicular congestion. These have the combined effect of only further excluding and invisibilising the millions of pedestrians who are in plain sight.

Encouraging children and the elderly to walk as much as possible also provides individual benefits in the form of better health outcomes. The social benefits of such an approach include a reduction in the number of vehicular trips, resulting in a lowering of local and global emissions.

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

For this change to take place, a fundamental flaw in the approach to road design to cater to smooth flow of motorised traffic needs to be corrected. In addition, there is a need for a long-term vision of accepting zero deaths of pedestrians in cities. This should be supplemented with a road map for achieving this target in the next decade.

Moreover, current administrative structures in most Indian cities do not respond to long-term goals and conflicting demands. Implementation of a walkable city requires changing the priority at various levels of governance.

Although this is a long process that requires continuous efforts and pilot projects to reconfigure the road network, it is an urgent requirement to ensure that India‘s pedestrians do not continue to languish at the margins of the country‘s

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developmental process.

1.

Urban India’s invisibilised pedestrians

India‘s policy planners, traffic engineers, and urban designers are mostly concerned with ensuring smooth flow of motorised traffic in cities by constructing signal-free road junctions and elevated roads. However, data show that 31 per cent of Indian workers in urban areas walk to work.

Table 1 shows the proportion of work trips by different travel modes reported in the Census of India, 2011. The proportion of women walking to work is substantially higher than men - 55 per cent vs 28 per cent. Walking trips are higher in rural areas than in urban areas, where walking WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

trips constitute 31 per cent for all workers and 46 per cent for women workers. All public transport trips include walking segments to access and egress from such trips, which mean that at least 50 per cent of urban commutes include a walking component. In addition, school and shopping trips are generally more dependent on walking. If these were to be taken into account, one can safely say that walking constitutes a major mode of mobility in urban India. A 2019-survey in selected cities reflected this, showing that 63 per cent of all trips were walking trips, making pedestrians the single largest category of road users (Table 1).

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TABLE 1: TRAVEL MODE SHARE FOR WORK IN INDIA (IN PER CENT) Mode

Total All

Rural

Male

Female

All

Male

Urban Female

All

Male

Female

On foot

33.1

28.5

55.1

36.2

28.8

67.6

31.3

28.3

46.5

Bicycle

19.2

22.2

4.8

21.9

25.7

5.3

17.6

20.2

4.5

Motorised two wheeler

17.7

19.8

7.8

12.0

13.8

3.9

21.2

23.3

10.5

Motorised four wheeler

3.8

3.8

3.7

2.4

2.4

1.9

4.7

4.6

4.9

Tempo/Auto/Taxi

4.2

4.0

4.8

3.9

4.1

3.1

4.3

3.9

6.0

Bus

16.2

15.5

19.4

18.3

18.8

16.0

14.9

13.5

21.8

Train

4.7

4.9

3.6

3.8

4.3

1.5

5.2

5.2

5.1

Water transport

0.3

0.4

0.1

0.6

0.6

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.1

Any other

0.8

0.9

0.5

1.0

1.2

0.5

0.7

0.8

0.6

Source : Census of India, 2011

Moreover, a large proportion of people who walk to work are ‗captive pedestrians‘ as they do not have access to any other mode of travel, primarily because of low income.

Therefore, despite hostile road conditions because of motorised traffic and the poor quality of pedestrian paths, the proportion of walk trips remains high in all Indian cities. More women walk to work than men. It is possible that women chose work close to home to enable them to look after their own households. Moreover, men have better access to a vehicle at home — a bicycle, a motorcycle or a car. As shown in Table 2, the proportion of walking trips reduces as the distance to commute increases. The proportion of men travelling to work longer than 5 km is higher than women. Indian urban areas have evolved having mixed land-use patterns, enabling short commutes to work. Low income households whose members rely on walking as their main mode of transportation are located close to their places of work. These are often in the form of informal residential settlements requiring short commutes.

traffic fatalities and injuries, and exposure to high levels of pollution. The Ministry of Roads and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report the number of road traffic fatalities at the national, State, and city levels. Reports from the last three years show the proportion of pedestrian fatalities in road traffic crashes to be 13, 15, and 17 per cent, respectively (MoRTH 2017, 2018, 2019) .

However, studies by independent researchers using police reports from different cities and highway locations show at least 30 per cent pedestrian fatalities (Mani and Tagat 2013 , Delhi Traffic Police 2014, Tiwari, Mohan, and Gupta 2000, Tiwari 2015) . In another survey of Victim Type in RTCs in 20 cities completed in 2018 (MoRTH, 2020), the pedestrian component in RTCs was reported to be 38.8 per cent. It is clear that pedestrian deaths in the national reports have not been reported correctly. In Delhi and Mumbai, the proportion of pedestrian fatalities is more

TABLE 2: DISTANCE TRAVELLED FOR WORK IN INDIA (IN PER CENT) Trip Length

Total

Rural

Urban

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

All

Male

Female

No travel

30.6

26.4

45.2

38.8

33.2

54.8

24.5

21.8

35.8

Less than 1 km

16.6

16.1

18.2

14.4

13.3

17.6

18.3

18.1

18.9

2-5 km

23.2

24.7

18.1

18.0

19.3

14.2

27.1

28.3

22.0

6-10 km

13.9

15.0

10.1

12.5

14.1

7.8

15.0

15.6

12.4

11-20 km

6.8

7.6

4.0

6.6

8.0

2.5

6.9

7.2

5.4

21-30 km

3.8

4.4

1.9

3.8

4.6

1.3

3.8

4.1

2.5

31-50 km

2.5

3.2

1.3

2.6

3.5

0.9

2.4

3.0

1.8

> 50 km

2.7

3.1

1.1

3.5

4.3

1.0

2.1

2.3

1.2

Source: Census of India, 2011

2. Cost of walking in Indian cities Pedestrians bear a high cost of walking in terms of road

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

than 50 per cent of all road traffic deaths. The cost of pedestrian fatalities and injuries is estimated to be Rs. 2,38,728 crore (MoRTH, 2020).

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The possible reason for the discrepancy between the official data and those derived from independent studies has been explained by Bhalla et al (2017) and Tiwari et al (2022): miscoding pedestrians and motorised two-wheeler and bicycle victims at the time of preparing detailed tables. In a nationally representative mortality survey of 1.1 million homes, Hsiao, M. et al (2013) found that pedestrians constituted 37 per cent of the total RTC fatalities. A more recent estimate by the Global Burden of Disease study, 2017 (Dandona, et al. 2020) reports that pedestrians accounted for 76,729 (35.1 per cent) of all deaths due to road injuries.

Although pedestrians do not contribute to air pollution, they are exposed to high levels of pollution in cities. This is especially true for public transport commuters while walking to bus stops or metro stations located along arterial roads. In Delhi, among various travel modes, walking, cycling, and use of public transport result in the highest dose of particulate pollution, estimated for a unit of distance, or time, whereas traveling in an air-conditioned car leads to the least amount of dose (Goel et al, 2015).

This study found that on an average, unenclosed travel modes in Delhi experience 10-40 per cent higher PM (particulate matter) concentration than an ambient location.

Exposure to high levels of pollution, risk of traffic injuries and poor quality of infrastructure are deterrents to the use of public transport by middle- and high-income travellers who have a choice of using personal motorised vehicle.

While globally, walking and cycling is being promoted for people of all ages, walking is not a preferred option for many in Indian cities due to poor walkability.

The benefits of increased walking include not only reductions in traffic congestion, air pollution and emissions, but also improvements in public and private health. (Doyle et al., 2006, Durand et al., 2011). Woodcock et al studied different mobility scenarios in London and Delhi to assess the public health benefits and impact on carbon dioxide emission. The active transport scenario, which included improving infrastructure of walking,

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bicycling and public transport systems, not only reported substantial change in CO 2 emissions but also reduction in other adverse health outcomes. The largest health gains were from reductions in ischemic heart disease (11–25 per cent of total ischemic heart disease burden), cerebrovascular disease (11–25 per cent of total cerebrovascular disease burden), and diabetes (6–17 per cent of total diabetes disease burden); the reduction in road traffic injuries was 27 per cent. (Woodcock et al 2009) .

3. What are the policies?

Historically, Indian cities evolved as walking cities. From the 1960s onwards, major cities initiated the exercise of preparing Master Plans in India (Khan 2011, Wood 1958).

The Master Plans were mostly influenced by the American vision of cities and some version of the Garden City movements. The Master Plan-making exercise focussed on allocation of land for different uses, gridiron street structures, and straight streets. The discussion on traffic problems continued to focus on traffic congestion and had no mention of conflicts and problems faced by pedestrians or bicyclists. Between the 1970s and the 1980s, the focus shifted to preparing Comprehensive Traffic and Transport Studies (CTTS) commissioned by city administrations to find solutions to traffic congestion at specific roads and junctions in their cities.

At international meetings organised by the PIRAC (a World Road Association founded in 1909 which enjoys a consultative status at the UN‘s Economic and Social Council) in 1971, 1973, 1975, 1983, and 1985, Indian representatives spoke of a major thrust on the pedestrianisation of its cities (Subbaraju 1971 , Kale 1975, R.T. Atre and Srinivasan 1987). Complete Bicycle Master Plans for Delhi, Chennai, and Pune were also presented at these meetings. Disappointingly, nearly 40 years later, no Indian city has any meaningful semblance of a network of pedestrian or bicycle friendly infrastructure. It is clear that the official presentations to the international community were only statements of policy intent, not implementation.

In the new millennium, specific polices have been recommended for urban mobility. In 2006, the first National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) was adopted by the Government of India. Designing cities ―for people, not for vehicles‖ made its debut in official thinking. The policy asked for a revision of several standards in order to achieve this vision. From 2014 onwards, the Smart Cities Mission led to the formation of Special Purpose Vehicles and appointment of CEOs for efficient implementation. Many cities have been designated ―Smart Cities‖. The programme began with 100 cities, with completion dates for the projects set between 2019 and 2023. As of 2019, the effective cumulative completion rate of all projects was 11 per cent. As of March this year, 3,577 projects had been completed out of a total of 6,939 tendered projects, utilising

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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Rs. 60,073 crore out of a total tendered cost of Rs. 1,91,294 crore.

There are examples from Chennai (Thyagaraya Nagar Plaza), Bengaluru (Church Street), Delhi (Chandni Chowk) where small road stretches have become pedestrianised at least in certain time of the day. However, no city has a road map for achieving a complete city-wide network for pedestrian friendly streets.

A 2021- study in three small Indian cities concluded:

“A dedicated space for pedestrians, bicycles, and public transport is acceptable as long as car traffic is not adversely affected. Sustainable mobility targets involve the development of a common mobility vision on behalf of all citizens. The current institutional structure and political discourse do not have space for this dialogue”.

Litman summarises the current planning practices as follows:

separators, while the waiting time of pedestrians at the starting point of a crossing has also increased. The correlation between waiting times and gaps acceptable by pedestrians shows that after a certain time of waiting, pedestrians become impatient and seek out even small gaps in the vehicular flow to cross the road.

Khatoon et al studied pedestrian risk taking behaviour in Delhi after the construction of a grade separator and the removal of the traffic signal to provide an uninterrupted flow for motorised traffic. A signal-cycle provides green time for pedestrians to cross the road without exposing them to risk. But after the construction of a grade separator, all pedestrians who were crossing the road at the grade separator face the risk because of the continuous flow of traffic. The removal of the traffic signal also resulted in increased variability in speeds of all categories of vehicles.

At the starting point of the crossing, the pedestrians‘ waiting time increased after the construction of grade separator. It was also found that higher pedestrian delays result in a higher number of unsafe crossings. (Khatoon, M., Tiwari, G. and Chatterjee, N., 2013).

“City planners and engineers continue to practice the conventional traffic-oriented approach which aimed at maximising network capacity, traffic volumes and travel speed. This is in conflict with the SDG targets and the alternative transport planning approach which focuses on people and maximizing accessibility”.

Wefering et al point that sustainable planning gives high priority to the alternative modes of transport i.e. walking, cycling, and the use of public transport. Transport planning which was introduced as a modal-focused domain of traffic engineers has now evolved into a multidisciplinary, holistic, and long term approach. However, this is completely missing at the ground level amongst practitioners. Localising SDGs remains a challenge and requires long-term sustained efforts.

Sidewalk Pedestrians on Indian urban roads are often exposed to high risks. This is because their basic needs are not recognised as a part of the urban transport infrastructure improvement projects. Rather, an ever increasing number of cars and motorised two-wheelers encourage the construction of large numbers of flyovers/grade separators to facilitate signal-free movement for motorised vehicles, exposing pedestrians to greater risk. A significant number of pedestrians are willing to take risks in both before and after situations.

The absence of signals makes pedestrians act independently, resulting in rash and erratic risk-taking behaviour. The variability in the speeds of all categories of vehicles has increased after the construction of grade

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

Pedestrians give higher priority to convenience and saving time rather than to road safety (Rankavat and Tiwari, 2016; Hussein and Sayed, 2015), a behavioural trait that should be considered by policymakers, planners, and engineers while planning to promote urban traffic and transport infrastructure. A large number of Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) and subways continue to be created to ensure safe pedestrian crossings, despite research studies repeatedly showing that FOBs and subways are neither comfortable nor convenient for most pedestrians (MacKenzie et al., 2008). The usage of such facilities remains low, and often the area near FOBs and flyovers become accident black spots because pedestrians crossing the road at such locations are exposed to high speed motorised traffic (Khatoon, M., Tiwari, G. and Chatterjee, N., 2013).

Safe pedestrian crossings can be easily ensured by controlling the speed of motorised traffic. This can be most effectively achieved by appropriate use of rumble strips and WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

speed calming humps (World Health Organization, 2013).

These are low-cost measures and are found to be very effective in controlling speed. On non-arterial roads, small round-abouts have been found to be very effective in controlling vehicular speed and ensuring safety. However, cities continue to invest in high-cost projects which have very little benefits for pedestrians or public transport users.

Since 1960s, many researchers in the U.S. and Europe focussed on understanding the epidemiology of crashes involving pedestrians. Scientific evidence was collected to understand the injury location, mechanisms and cognitive and judgmental factors in traffic crash causation. These studies established the methodology of conducting controlled observational studies which are close to real-life situations. The researchers concluded:

4. Why pedestrian safety remains a challenge?

The first ever recorded pedestrian fatality was that of a British woman, Bridget Driscoll, more than 120 years ago.

Driscoll was hit on the grounds of Crystal Palace by an experimental vehicle —a horseless car—which could travel at a maximum speed of 8 mph (13 km/h). The investigation included court testimonies by witnesses who were questioned and their observations about the vehicle speed were reported. Florence Ashmore, a domestic servant who had witnessed the crash, said the vehicle had come on ―at a tremendous pace, in fact, like a fire engine.‖ There were statements about the driver‘s abilities and training. ―Witnesses testified that Edsall had been driving for all of three weeks‘ time and had not even been told which side of the road he should stay on. (Perhaps unsurprising, he also had no license.)― The vehicle hit the lady and the blow knocked Driscoll down, inflicting a fatal head injury. The driver hit the brakes right away. The jury deliberated for six hours and concluded that this was an ―accidental‖ incident and hoped that this would not be repeated.

The framework of the investigation of this first pedestrian crash influenced the process of investigation for many years. Researchers and policy makers focused on ―investigating‖ the role of the driver, skills of the driver, and ―awareness or information‖ given to the road users to induce safe behaviour on the road. Some other observations from this incident included the possibility of fatality even at a low speed, and the consequences of the head hitting a hard surface. However, for the next 60 years, the role of speed, environment around the road user, and road user behaviour after knowing the ―correct information‖, continued to be ignored by most researchers

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“The crossing of streets, which in some cases can be a risky endeavour for pedestrians, is clearly controlled by a consciousness of what those risks are. Gap acceptance rates suggest that pedestrians tend to choose safe crossing gaps and that individual gap acceptance levels are strongly mitigated by individual capabilities.

For example, older people, who walk slower, will select longer gaps. The width of the crossing point also affects gap acceptance rates, clearly showing awareness on the pedestrian’s part of the risks they are taking (or, in most cases, risks that are avoided through rational decisions).”

The results of these pioneering studies have been very robust. In recent times with more automation, computational power and technology to collect large amount of data, the results regarding pedestrian crossing behaviour, safe gap acceptance and speed have remained constant across different countries.

Generally, pedestrian safety has been studied as an urban problem. Recent studies have reported pedestrians facing high risks near bus stops in urban areas (Hess, Moudon, & Matlick, 2004; Quistberg et al., 2015; Truong & Somenahalli, 2011). Some new emerging patterns of pedestrian crashes which have not been reported in published studies include fatalities of pedestrian on access control expressways in India and those waiting along the shoulder of a high-speed road to board buses.

Overall, pedestrian deaths reduced in the U.S., the EU, and Australia compared with low- and middle-income countries (LMICS). However, travel surveys from Australia, EU and the U.S., also show a decrease in pedestrian trips at the same time. School active transport generally declined for males and older female children (19 and 20 percentage points per decade, respectively) between 1985 and 2003 and 2013 in Australia. The Swedish national travel survey 2015–2016, shows that for all types of travel (business, work and study-related, service and shopping, leisure and other purposes) walking and cycling trips were only 27 per cent of all trips. Reduction in pedestrian trips is a matter of concern both from lack of active transport resulting in adverse impacts of health and also the effectiveness of strategies that have been implemented for improving pedestrian safety.

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Pedestrian behaviour on the road is guided by perceived risks, comfort, and convenience. The Perception of Risk remains low from life experience. Comfort and convenience are more important for pedestrians as compared to risk. Several studies conducted since the 1950s to understand pedestrian crossing behaviour find high levels of non-compliance of traffic regulation by pedestrians (red light violation). This indicates that traffic control policies do not adequately account for pedestrian behaviour and their travel needs, even if they risk a financial penalty.

However, most pedestrians recognise their own capabilities in safely crossing streets, as indicated by age and gender differences in gap acceptance, most adopt non-complying behaviour only when gaps are sufficient and street widths are narrower (or there is a median refuge). The capability of individuals also affects their risk-taking behaviour: Harrell found that older people and women tend to be more cautious in crossing streets.

Group dynamics can also affect risk-taking decisions, although there is little research in this area. Harrell found that when more pedestrians are present, levels of caution while crossing streets is less. This could be due to a perception that a large group is more visible to motorists and thus that risk is reduced; this could also explain the slower speeds when a group is walking and crossing a street, although this could also be specific to trip purpose and many other factors.

and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air pollution and contamination; Target 11.2. requires providing access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations — women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.

Target 3.6 can be met by making urban areas accessible and safe, especially for pedestrians. In addition, by providing accessibility to public transport, India would also meet SDG 3.9 because a higher mode share of public transport would mean reduced dependence on private motorised modes resulting in fuel savings and decline in the levels of air pollution. So far the efforts to localise SDGs have been at a State level; however, there has been no effort at a city level to localise SDG targets. Although policies are set at the State level, the implementation of many targets have to be at the city level. This is especially true for SDG target 11 and associated targets discussed in the next section.

5. Opportunities for improving pedestrian safety and urban walkability The Government of India is a signatory to the UN‘s 17 SDGs and is committed to achieving them. At the level of the Union government, the NITI Aayog (The National Institution for Transforming India) has been assigned the role of overseeing the implementation of SDGs in the country. The NITI Aayog works closely with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which is accountable for the development of the baseline data on the National Indicator Framework, all Union Ministries, States and Union Territories, international development organisations such as the UN system, think tanks, and civil society organisations in driving the adoption, implementation, and monitoring of the SDG agenda. The NITI Aayog has been supporting the States/UTs in putting in place monitoring mechanisms at their and district levels. Most States/UTs have mapped their government‘s schemes, programmes, and policies with the SDG targets thereby assigning the responsibility of targets to their respective departments.

At least three of the 17 SDGs declared by the UN in 2016 can be met by improving walkability in Indian cities.

Target 3.6 requires halving the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by the year 2030; Target 3.9 requires a substantial reduction in the number of deaths

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The WHO kicked off the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 in October 2021, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. India can meet this target by focussing on pedestrian safety and improving the walkability of cities.

Many countries have adopted the safe systems approach based on The Vision Zero policy propagated by Sweden in the late 1990s aims to ensure that none should be killed or injured due to traffic accidents and, therefore, the transport system should be designed in a way that fatal or serious injuries do not occur. This means that safety is more important than other issues in the road transport system (except for health-related environmental issues). Mobility, therefore, should flow from safety and cannot be obtained at the expense of safety.

Current traffic safety science suggests that if road users do not take their share of the responsibility, for example, due to a lack of knowledge or competence, or if personal injuries occur for other reasons that lead to risk, the system designers (road designers) must take further measures to prevent people from being killed or seriously injured. This WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

is consistent with the Vision Zero theory, which suggests that humans have limitations in perception, diligence, and other driving-related performance that are predictable and inevitable. These natural limitations constitute the primary reason for increased responsibility by system designers.

The three important principles of Safe Systems Approach (SSA), derived from Vision Zero, provide the necessary guidance for ensuring pedestrian safety and meeting the mobility related SDG targets. The SSA has three key principles (H. Y. Chen & L. Meuleners, 2011; Transport Research Centre, 2008): •Principle 1 - Recognition of human frailty •Principle 2 - Acceptance of human error •Principle 3 - Creation of a forgiving environment and appropriate crash energy management Understanding of pedestrian behaviour and acceptance of SSA principles together can lead to ensuring pedestrian safety and creating walkable, inclusive safe cities.

Improving walkability and safety of pedestrians, therefore, is the key to meeting the UN‘s SDG related to mobility.

6. How can India have walkable cities?

A large proportion of people walk in Indian cities; however, cities are not walkable. Making cities walkable requires a strong policy framework guiding investments and implementation of planning and design guidelines.

For this to be effectively translated to reality, interventions are required at various levels. i. Policy framework As urban transport is a State subject, the NUTP has to be adopted at a State or city level or an urban transport policy framework has to be developed and mandated by the State or city level government. Chennai, Pune and Coimbatore have attempted this. However, the policy framework and the revised standards are not mandated by any law.

Therefore, the impact of the NMT policy has not been achieved as desired. A mandatory State-level policy guiding all the cities in the State in preparing a road map for achieving pedestrian friendly (sustainable urban transport compliance) seems necessary. The small pilot projects of pedestrian friendly streets that are currently underway cannot be scaled up in the absence of a State Urban Transport Policy adopted by the State Legislature.

and planners often need city-specific guidelines.

Preparation and implementation of city-specific guidelines require a combination of civil engineering and design skills of architects. Public works department and municipalities should induct designers and planners to work closely with civil engineers to make pedestrian-friendly streets.

Compliance with current street design guidelines should be made mandatory by law. Traffic enforcement agencies also have to be guided to ensure pedestrian safety and compliance to pedestrian requirements over motorised traffic.

Some immediate interventions Specific interventions can be implemented with immediate effect such as restricting free left turns at signalised intersections and speed compliance of motorised vehicles on arterial roads by better enforcement through red light camera and police monitoring. The installation of speed tables at all intersections on non-arterial roads to enforce the 30km/h speed limit is also an immediately possible intervention. In intersections of small towns, well designed small round-abouts can be constructed to ensure speed compliance and smooth flow of traffic. Similarly, rural road junctions can have a combination of rumble strips and speed humps. iii. Monitoring progress City administration has to create a monitoring mechanism to evaluate the progress of implementing walkability guidelines. This can be on the lines of SDG monitoring mechanisms by the NITI Aayog. At the city level, administrative units should be set up whose responsibility is to evaluate various indicators of walkability and monitor the progress of pedestrian compliant infrastructure implementation.

ii. Planning and design guidelines In the last decade, many street design guidelines have become available to guide city-engineers. The Indian Roads Congress has revised the Urban Street Design Guidelines.

Global best practices have been introduced by NGOs working in a few cities in India. However, city-engineers WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

There are many challenges and barriers to create walkable cities. Current administrative structures in most Indian cities do not respond to long-term goals and conflicting demands. The SDGs are not a priority for many city governments. Cities need encouragement and national URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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support to adopt and implement the SDGs. Fresh thought has to be given to how the SDGs can be used to influence day-to-day decisions. The SDGs can also be a part of the outcome-based budget of municipalities in order to make them a priority.

process and will require continuous efforts and demonstration projects. It is also an unavoidable investment in the future for a nation that aspires to join the comity of the developed world.

More than anything else, citizens‘ engagement is a primary requirement and has been discussed in many policy documents. However, it is difficult to measure the outcome of such engagement in the short term.

Citizens who are adversely affected by many infrastructure decisions (high speed roads through the city, poor facilities for pedestrians) do not have institutional mechanisms to express their demands. A ―predict and provide‖ paradigm (i.e.) forecast increase in vehicles and increase capacity for motorised traffic movement, seems to dominate the approach of decision makers and city planners, rather than welldesigned scientific approaches that are backed by empirical evidence.

About Author

***

Geetam Tiwari is Head and Chair Professor at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre at IIT Delhi. Her research focus includes traffic and transport planning and traffic safety focusing on pedestrians, bicycles and bus systems, and highway safety. She is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion since 2009. She heads the WHO collaborating Centre on Safety Technologies at TRIP Centre, IIT Delhi.

(This article is first appeared at The Hindu Centre Online)

Implementing programmes that elevate India‘s anarchic urban clusters to walkable cities requires a comprehensive re-look at the priorities given to this important role of the state at various levels of governance. Needless to emphasise, this is a long

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URBAN INFRA BUSINESS Summit & Awards 2022

09 Sept. 2022 | India International Centre | New Delhi, India

SUMMIT THEME Investment, Financing and Business Avenues in Urban Railways, Infrastructure and Mobility Industry in India - Challenges & Solutions Host:

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Dr. Amudhan Valavan Independent Director MTC Chennai

Internet of Mobility (IoM): A hidden spectrum in IoT for a futuristic mobility ecosystem

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he world is constantly undergoing changes as new inventions, ideas take charge and form among the wide public. With emphasis being laid recently on climate change and greener lifestyles the need to revamp the existing mobility system also arises. The question is how far and effectively is all the technologies that are already present today being used in everyday life. Internet of things (―IoT‖) has changed the way we see the world. With all its sensors and connected devices generating multitudes of data every second, it makes it possible for AI to enable taking planned decisions for the future. Transport is a field yet to undergo a major revolution in all parts of the world. Except for a few urban cities, transport everywhere is lagging behind

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technologically. Internet of Mobility (―IoM‖) is a new concept where every vehicle that is present can contribute in making the transportation industry an efficient, effective and pleasant experience to all travellers. Not just limiting itself to people transport, it extends to establishing a strong supply chain network throughout the globe opening immense opportunities in terms of innovation that can be introduced as well as availability of transportation facilities like never before. The paper further discusses ―MaaS‖ and how ―IoM‖ takes it to the next level.

Commercial and industrial sectors are realizing the uses and impact of ―IoT‖ technologies on their supply chains and manufacturing capabilities whereas companies in the logistics and transport sectors are already having a head start. In the modern times transport and logistics companies depend on real-time data widely collected from vast network processed minutely for its advantage. The advantages offered by sensors and connected technologies are immediately obvious in managing the data flows and adjustments needed to move goods by air, land, sea and rail networks. Fleet management can be enhanced with intelligent dispatching, real time incident response and asset monitoring. Managing large number of fleets across multiple countries and supply chains results in logistical complexity which can be simplified by tracing and tracking done real-time using ―IoT‖ applications.

For example, humidity and temperature sensitive goods can be monitored and adjusted on the run without human intervention. This capability reduces supplier risk and potential costs through spoilage or contractual failure.

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the use of AI greatly enhance the capabilities of ―MaaS‖ (Mobility as a Service)which will get infused in projects like Smart city initiatives, public transport on demand, predictive maintenance, personalized customer services, autonomous driving and safety & security management. AI combined with the ―IoT‖ and block chain technologies can open a whole new opportunities. In ―IoT‖, many sensors and devices are connected through the internet and they generate URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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a significant amount of unstructured data, which AI can make sense of, or recognize patterns and provide intelligent outputs to solve modern problems and predict outcomes.

Block chain can improve security of AI-enabled tools and also track, understand and explain decisions made by AI. In significant and unforeseen ways ―IoT‖ platform is changing how businesses and governments produce and move goods and provide services throughout the globe and how it gets delivered to consumers and is accessed by them.

The ―IoT‖ make it possible to create a more interconnected world. In general terms, the ―IoT‖ creates value for companies through sequences of activities enabled by specific technologies for each stage, from real world objects in real time. The activities are: creating information through sensors and sensor enabled technologies communicating the information across a network aggregating information through the use of standards/norms/protocols analysing the information through a variety of mechanisms and technologies using the information for automated decision-making or to enhance better human decision-making

and planning journeys, they are constantly available. There is only need for light amount of integration to be done with some of the existing infrastructure and application. This is to say, a public transit agency/operator can choose to connect their vehicles to the ―IoM‖ so that they can be part of multimodal/intermodal journey planning by any app connected to ―IoM‖. It will become increasingly likely that in the future there will be a legal requirement for PTAs/PTOs to expose their vehicles to an open ―IoM‖ and also to support booking and payments by 3rd party applications as well.

Definition of ―IoM‖ The Internet of Mobility refers to a layer of the internet which supports and enables a globally interoperable ―Mobility as a Service (MaaS)‖ ecosystem. ―IoM‖ means that any vehicle: public, private or shared, can be easily interconnected connected to a network of interoperable mobility services available globally, via a series of APIs and specifications known as the ―IoM‖ protocol. If a vehicle is connected to the ―IoM‖, it will be discoverable by any user the app that has the protocol built into it.

(Example Picture2 : Tesla Navigation System used to dynamically connect private vehicles to “IoM”)

Private vehicles for Transit: The idea here is to let private vehicle owners participate in commercial movement of people and goods. This enables more efficient and participated action that contributes immensely for mobility.

In some geographic markets and demographic segments, the idea of enabling open access to your private vehicle, like a car, or even a bike, seems far-fetched. World is moving from car ownership to access to vehicles on demand and automakers are eagerly thinking for future prospects of the idea. Private vehicle owners will be able to establish their own sharing settings prior to connecting the vehicle to the ―IoM‖.

These settings would allow the owner to establish a type of smart contract which formalizes the offer from the vehicle owner to peers (what types of peers are allowed to use their vehicle, whether it relates to safety and security, user ratings, and pricing).

(Picture 1: Competing in the Digital Internet of Mobility)

Any vehicle, public, private or shared The introduction of a new concept here, that is, any vehicle owner can connect their private vehicle to the ―IoM‖ network to make them available for use.

Public transit vehicles are those that would be constantly accessible on the ―IoM‖. When it comes to discoverability

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Discoverable by any user of any app connected to the protocol The ―IoM‖ technology has been developed as an app and protocol presently. In the near future the protocol can be easily integrated to all of the existing mobility service apps seamlessly. ―IoM‖ protocol is being developed in an open manner that any app can connect on its own to the ―IoM‖, allowing the app‘s users to access the mobility vehicles WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

connected to ―IoM‖ anywhere in the world. Instead of one app concept (Uber style) for users around the world, thousands of apps could connect to the ―IoM‖ with only a fraction of those actually built by directly by ―IoM‖ itself.

Any mobility app should allow its users to access any mobility service or vehicle connected to the ―IoM‖ anywhere in the world. ―IoM‖ will not achieve this on its own as it will require growing the community from a range of public and private collaborators. ―IoM‖ makes this vision a possibility and it is the only real way to enable a vibrant, open, interoperable and democratized global mobility ecosystem.

transit services found in ―MaaS‖ models around the globe and where it is seen the market headed with open protocols enabled by block chain technology.

Step 1: Single Provider Model

Among the earliest ―MaaS‖ visions was the concept shared vehicle. And every operator had their own platform for providing services. The trend started as shared mobility and grew to owing private vehicle. This trend in the sharing economy has of course impacted virtually every segment of the economy, perhaps none more than mobility. The explosion in shared mobility solutions (car sharing, ride sharing, bike sharing, carpooling, parking sharing, EV charging station sharing, and boat sharing….) has been unprecedented in recent years. A single provider model of ―MaaS‖, the first step, is when a single mobility provider offers some kind of Picture3 : Interconnection of services in “IoM” subscription service to a mobility solution. Toyota, for example recently From Mobility as a Service (―MaaS‖) to ―IoM‖ (Internet announced the creation of Toyota Mobility Services of Mobility) which, among other things, aims to develop some types of ―MaaS‖ models for corporate and personal applications.

Building a Block Chain protocol with the aim of decentralizing urban mobility in the hopes of improving Step 2: Single Provider, Multimodal ―MaaS‖ efficiency in urban mobility systems while also democratizing access to the technology and the mobility While the single provider single modality model is a users gives shared mobility start-ups and other innovators a relationship between a single provider usually with just one level playing field to compete. software solution replacing the normal purchase and download model of software, Step 1 is not even close to the ―IoM‖ is designed considering the evolution of the potential to transform mobility as many advocates are mobility as a service (―MaaS‖) space for some time. The speaking. Step 2 gets closer to ―MaaS‖ by incorporating ―MaaS‖ space currently seems fraught with competing multiple modalities in a single package. The most common definitions and interpretations of what is or isn‘t ―MaaS‖. form of Step 2 implementation occurs with public transit ―MaaS‖ is misplaced and needs a broader framing of authorities who are increasingly introducing smart cards for Transportation as a Service (TaaS) to incorporate other integrated payments across multiple modalities of public services such as goods delivery and not just restricted with transit service. This single transit card is capable of mobility of people. There is a range in points of view functioning across a range of public transit services such as regarding the scope and breadth of ―MaaS‖ as well as buses, suburban trains, metro lines and others. It is approaches to payment. This brings to the idea of a common with Step 2 implementations that users can have decentralized, block chain-enabled Internet of Mobility the potential to do single journey, pay as you go, with one (―IoM‖) network. integrated fare for the whole journey, and in many cases, users are allowed to get some form of monthly ―MaaS‖ The 4 Steps from ―MaaS‖ to ―IoM‖ including the general fare that allows unlimited use of all modalities for a fixed characteristics of ―MaaS‖ services in each step may vary fee. with each implementation. This model is meant to illustrate a continuum of potential levels of integration of WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

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Step 3: Multi-provider, multimodal ―MaaS‖ A multi-provider, multimodal ―MaaS‖ allows for the integration of public and private transit operators across a

successful ―MaaS‖ aggregators would be ones that offer the best value to mobility users. This would also open up more opportunities for new innovative mobility solutions to be added to competing ―MaaS‖ hubs, democratizing

(Picture 5 : Internet of Mobility Process Flow)

range of modality types including usually embracing shared mobility solutions. At this stage people are thinking, what could be better than a Step 3, multi-provider, multimodal ―MaaS‖ offering pay as you go and monthly services across a range of public and private transit options including a growing array of shared mobility services?

Step 4: The decentralized Internet of Mobility (―IoM‖) Smart cities will embrace ―IoM‖ along with a decentralized block chain protocol across a range of services in an attempt to further increase efficiency and quality of citizen and visitor services while also democratizing access to the technology and the network for new innovative services.

Internet of Things (―IoT‖) has gained significant traction in smart cities, and well known early block chain projects like IOTA explore how to help decentralize ―IoT‖ implementation in cities. Leveraging an open block chain protocol, a city could have multiple ―MaaS‖-type aggregators competing for users, all leveraging the same base protocol, meaning that each of them would potentially have access to the same mobility user base and base technology for validating the identification of providers and users, user reputation and payment functions. The more

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market access to innovative start-ups, thereby only the best of best shall survive. This paves way for a futuristic mobility model.

The hub model, however also allows for further decentralization. Essentially any mobility service, once validated, would be accessible to any hub, even one that does not have a singular unified payment service. Not all mobility users want to be restricted to access only the mobility services that have partnered with a particular ―MaaS‖. Perhaps a user lives in an area with real problems with first mile/last mile and none of the providers in the ―MaaS‖ network solve that problem for them, meanwhile a new P2P car sharing service that is not a member of the ―MaaS‖, is accessible to open hubs and would solve the first mile/last mile network. Finally, given the common, base, open protocol, ―MaaS‖ type operators in any city operating on the same protocol could easily facilitate arrangements between cities whereby a ―MaaS‖ with ―IoM‖ subscriber in one city could be allowed free or discounted access to a ―MaaS‖ with ―IoM‖ in other cities where they travel, carrying with them their identity and payment preferences. ―IoM‖ models are fantastic innovations that help cities improve quality of life for WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

SPECIAL STUDY

citizens while improving the efficiency of public and private mobility services. However, it is believed the disruptive, and decentralized nature of the block chain, allows for another significant leap in transformative potential of aggregated mobility services in cities.

The article tried to scratch the surface of all the benefits IoM can bring to the table for the transport sector. The transmission from the traditional method to technology infused ecosystem is a long shot but the manufacturers are already adapting all these changes in their manufacturing models. Cars and busses are connected nowadays. It is only high time that the mobility field starts adapting these new technologies to drive the way to a more profitable environment. Initial costs and resources may be huge but the returns on the investments are definitely promising. Once the system is live, it is going to work for times to come with very less operational and maintenance costs. This move is the only sensible way and future for the transport sector to stay viable in serving the society that is getting smarter every day. ***

India’s International Magazines for Rail, Metro and Transportation Industry

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INTERVIEW

In conversation with Francesco Paolo Lipartiti Chief Operating Officer - ISEAP Region Officine Maccaferri Group

Kindly share with our readers about your professional journey in the industry and what things inspired you to start your career in this Industry?

In a recent e-mail interaction with Urban Transport News, Francesco Paolo Lipartiti, Chief Operating Officer - ISEAP Region Officine Maccaferri Group has talked about the use of sustainable construction materials for the construction & infrastructure industry and shared the role of Maccaferri Group in reducing CO2 from the construction industry.

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In 2008, I joined Maccaferri as Financial Controller for the international subsidiaries. As someone who is naturally interested, I have always attempted to take advantage of all the chances that a multinational corporation provides its employees. Initially, I travelled between South Africa, North America, Mexico, Greece, Portugal, India, and Nepal for short-medium-term adventures. I fell in love with India on a brief visit of a few months, and at the age of 30, I relocated to New Delhi to supervise the Finance division of the Indian subsidiary. In 2014, I was asked to pursue a new JV project between Maccaferri and a Belgian multinational firm focused on underground and tunnelling applications and solutions, so I embarked on a new journey in Belgium as a member of the management committee. Three years later, in 2017, I returned to Asia as the APAC region's Chief Financial Officer.

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Maccaferri also gave me the opportunity to show myself in a variety of roles with growing responsibility and that has really inspired me a lot. I took on many duties during the various relocations. I was quickly promoted to Chief Financial Officer in India, and I was now in charge of human resources management in both Belgium and Asia, in addition to continuing to oversee the Finance division.

These roles, like the one I hold now, were frequently established from scratch, and this was a fantastic opportunity since it pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to improve my talents.

What is your current role & responsibilities in Officine Maccaferri Group?

I've been the Chief Operating Officer for ISEAP, a big and diversified region that includes India, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Rim, for nearly a year. My responsibilities include overseeing operations and marketing, engaging in regional strategy and development projects, and assisting in the creation of synergies between regional management and Corporate and the Region. My job encouraged me to have direct contact with numerous business divisions and to travel frequently, allowing me to have an in-depth understanding of regional dynamics, despite the ongoing pandemic posing substantial problems and necessitating a much more focused effort on the digital front. Together with the position as Regional COO since February 2022, I have also been appointed as Managing Director for Malaysia and South East Asia export markets.

What are the basic elements and factors that emit CO2 in the construction industry? How can traditional construction materials impact the environment and what are the best alternatives to save the environment?

The use of traditional materials such as concrete, steel, timber, clay, or gravel in infrastructure projects contributes considerably to the embodied carbon of each project.

India's construction industry accounts for around 22% of the country's total yearly CO2 emissions.

Long-term solutions that are more ecologically friendly than traditional solutions are required in India. India must construct a green economy that places sustainability at the centre of its growth strategy. The inherent embodied carbon of these projects will be minimised by removing or reducing the usage of these materials and replacing them with similar geosynthetic materials. When compared to traditional constructions, the usage of mechanically woven Double Twisted wire mesh solutions, such as Reno Mattresses and Gabions packed with locally available stones, may save up to 70% on CO2 emissions. Long-term sustainability should be a top goal in building, and lowering carbon footprints may be the quickest way to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. The goal of developing solutions should be to improve the quality of life while simultaneously maintaining the environment.

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How can the construction industry overcome the major issue of adding carbon footprints? Can you please tell me about some effective solutions?

The construction authorities should place more emphasis on sustainable development. New road construction requires the mining of natural materials which is unavoidable creating an additional carbon footprint. Green road construction can be achieved by various methods like reusing site-won resources, re-vegetating, and integrating themselves into the natural environment. Another solution to reduce carbon footprint is the adoption of geosynthetics.

These have become an increasingly popular option in modern construction as a result of the diverse variety of applications for which they are suitable like pavements, retaining walls, drainage, erosion control, ground improvement, hydraulics etc.

Maccaferri has rich experience across the globe in providing sustainable solutions using geosynthetics. We have invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in India and supply materials worldwide.

The construction industry is booming in India, SouthEast Asia & Pacific region. How do you leverage this opportunity for your company?

In the next five years, Asia Pacific is expected to see a boom in the construction industry, with a good mix of projects in the residential, industrial, and infrastructural categories. Government intervention in the region, combined with rising urbanization, investment, and government and consumer expenditure, is propelling the economy forward. Despite the fact that infrastructure investment has been a primary driver of the construction industry's rise, it is yet to adopt a comprehensive approach to long-term sustainability.

In India, spending on infrastructure is increasing as a result of government policies that encourage it. This is fueling economic growth across the country. There are several programmes to aid development, such as Gati Shakti, Parvatmala, and linking India's remotest areas. With increased investment in India's infrastructure, as well as an increase in large-scale projects across the country, and government recommendations on material quality, sustainable construction approaches are becoming increasingly important as the country strives to achieve netzero emissions by 2070. We at Maccaferri are committed towards making a tangible difference in the reduction of carbon footprint in the construction industry, circular economy, protection of natural resources and educating our stakeholders about the advanced infra solutions that contribute to the development goal of a prosperous and sustainable low-carbon future.

Do you think switching to sustainable construction materials should be a priority for the construction & URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE JULY 2022

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infrastructure Industry?

Yes, changing over to environmentally friendly building materials needs to be a top priority for the building and construction industry, without a doubt about it. It is important that any proposed solutions include both the improvement of quality of life and the preservation of the environment as their primary goals. Global warming and climate change are illustrations of what can happen if we do not develop in a sustainable manner. Ignoring the challenges of sustainable development can result in a variety of effects, including rising sea levels, extreme droughts, forest erosion and loss, species extinction, and so on. As a result of recent climatic changes and global warming, the intensity of geo hazards is increasing.

Limiting the effects of such hazards will be challenging without early action and significant emission reduction measures across all sectors.

What are the sustainable construction techniques? Kindly give some insights and applications of these techniques for faster delivery of projects.

We provide various sustainable construction techniques with a variety of products available to us. Conventionally stone pitching is used for erosion control which involves the placement of stones manually. An alternative to this is the use of geomatics. These are part of our sustainable product range and are used for surface erosion protection.

They are also known as Rolled Erosion Control Protection (RECPs) mats and give instant protection to susceptible slopes from erosional forces such as wind, rain, and surface run-off. These are easy to install and require less time compared to stone pitching.

materials from the sites. Additionally, with soaring energy costs, investing in solar power also presents a long-term sustainable solution.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as UAVs) is one of the many possible options that might be explored. Drones in the construction industry provide an unrivalled view of a site at a fraction of the cost, allowing to monitor issues, follow progress, save time and develop better plans on-site. It also reduces the need of manual vehicles, resulting in reducing the cost and lowering fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, the infrastructure sector is continuously seeking better, more efficient ways to design and build in order to keep up with rising demand and to contribute to the creation of smarter, more robust structures. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a smart 3D model-based method that not only helps design and construction teams to work more efficiently, but also allows them to collect the data they generate during the process for use in operations and maintenance. BIM will give infrastructure projects more visibility, better decision-making, more sustainable solutions, and cost savings. ***

Similarity for soil retention, reinforced soil structures or mass gravity gabion walls is used. These are simple to construct and require lesser time while blending in aesthetically with the environment. Reinforced soil structures are constructed in lesser time compared to conventional RCC retaining walls.

The transportation sector and the construction industry are inter-connected. Please highlight some best practices that can make them sustainable and environmentfriendly.

Today, the transportation and construction industry is aggressively adopting to sustainable and environmentfriendly practices. There are plenty of eco-construction and eco-transportation practices that are also cost-effective and can be easily adopted by the companies. Some of these practices include opting for alternative construction materials and tailor-made engineering solutions. This not only makes the infrastructure eco-friendly, but it creates a constant focus on recycling the materials like concrete and structural steel which will help companies in avoiding additional costs associated with the disposal of toxic

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achieve its net-zero ambitions by 2070.

Hydrogen can substantially spur industrial decarbonisation and economic growth for India

A

new report released recently by NITI Aayog highlights that green hydrogen can substantially spur industrial decarbonisation and economic growth for India in the coming decades. The report was launched

by Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and Amitabh Kant, Ex-CEO, NITI Aayog. Harnessing Green Hydrogen: Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India provides a pathway to accelerate the emergence of a green hydrogen economy, which is critical for India to

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The report co-authored by NITI Aayog and RMI, underscores that green hydrogen—produced by renewable energy through electrolysis of water—will be crucial for achieving decarbonisation of harder-to-abate sectors i.e. fertilizers, refining, methanol, maritime shipping, iron & steel and transport. It further states that with emerging global momentum on hydrogen, Indian situates this decarbonization opportunity not just within the context of a low-carbon economy but also as an enabler of energy security and economic development for the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog said, ‖An important message of the report was that green hydrogen can potentially provide a replacement of fossil fuels in industrial processes.‖ He added, ― The next steps at the policy level could involve arriving at the correct mix between mandates/regulations and price instruments.‖ Shri Amitabh Kant, Ex-CEO of NITI Aayog, made a brief presentation on the report. He said that the report was the outcome of a detailed study spread over a year. He highlighted the importance of green hydrogen from the point of view of energy security and the need to achieve size and scale to push down the costs of green hydrogen.

He remarked that, given the right policies, India can

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OPINION

emerge as the least cost producer and bring down the price of green hydrogen to USD 1 per kg by 2030.

While hydrogen can be produced from multiple sources, India‘s distinct advantage in low-cost renewable electricity means that green hydrogen will emerge as the most costeffective form. The report concludes that hydrogen demand in India could grow more than fourfold by 2050, representing almost 10% of global demand. Given that the majority of this demand could be met with green hydrogen in the long term, the cumulative value of the green hydrogen market in India could reach US$8 billion by 2030.

Highlighting the opportunity, Clay Stranger, RMI Managing Director, said that there is significant global interest in green hydrogen and countries are in the first stages of formulating a strategy and this will ultimately decide the winners and losers of the hydrogen economy.

The report can become a reference for policy making in India.

The report describes pathways that can capture the benefits of green hydrogen near-term policy measures can bring down the current costs of green hydrogen to make it competitive with the existing grey hydrogen (hydrogen produced by natural gas) prices. Medium-term price targets should be set to guide the industry towards making green hydrogen the most competitive form of hydrogen.

Opportunities around research and development and manufacturing of components like electrolysers need to be identified and appropriately encouraged with adequate financial mechanisms such as production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to enable 25 GW of manufacturing capacity of electrolysers by 2028.

A globally competitive green hydrogen industry can lead to exports of green hydrogen and hydrogen-embedded lowcarbon products like green ammonia and green steel that can unlock 95 GW of electrolysis capacity in the nation by 2030.

NITI Aayog‘s partner for this report, RMI, works for the transformation of global energy systems through marketdriven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. It works in the world‘s most critical geographies and engages businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale up energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030.

Partner institutions play a critical role in creating a knowledge ecosystem for NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog engages with partners to jointly work on key policy issues and leverages expertise in respective areas. ***

Government can encourage near-term market development by identifying industrial clusters and enacting associated viability gap funding, mandates and targets.

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IN SPOTLIGHT

Meet Mr. Parmeswaran Iyer, new CEO of NITI Aayog

He was the first person who become secretary directly at the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, in 2016.

An officer of 1981-batch of Indian Administrative Services (IAS) from Uttar Pradesh cadre, Parameswaran Iyer took charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Think Tank NITI Aayog on July 11, 2022.

He started his work to achieve the strict goals under the mission (building 110 million toilets in 5 years) and achieved 90% despite sanitation as a state subject.

Iyer has been appointed as the chief executive officer of NITI Aayog, after Amitabh Kant retires on June 30, for two years terms. ―Honoured and humbled to have been given the incredible opportunity to serve the country again—this time as CEO, NITI Aayog. I am deeply grateful to Hon‘ble PM Narendra Modi for another chance to work under his leadership towards a transformed India,‖ said Iyer.

Iyer was born in an Indian Air Force officer family. He represented India at the Junior Davis Cup in Tennis.

He implemented PM Narendra Modi's dream project Swachh Bharat Mission, the country-wide sanitation campaign to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management.

"We hope under his leadership, we will see more policy decisions based on ground reality and a positive impact on millions of Indians," said Mamta Shah, MD & CEO, Urban Infra Group.

The NITI Aayog (previously known as Planning Commission) serves as the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India, and the nodal agency tasked with catalyzing economic development and fostering cooperative federalism through the involvement of State Governments in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach. ***

After serving 17 years as an IAS officer, he took voluntary retirement and devoted his life as a water resources manager at the World Bank and worked in Vietnam, China, Egypt, Lebanon, and Washington.

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