Only 31 of 100 Smart Cities Completed After Nearly 10 Years, RTI Reveals :
Prime Vista News
Nearly a decade after the launch of the ambitious Smart Cities Mission, only 31 out of the 100 selected cities across India have been fully transformed into ‘smart cities’, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The RTI response also revealed that while work in 43 cities is nearing completion, the remaining 26 cities will require additional time, underscoring delays in the flagship urban development programme that was originally envisioned as a five-year project starting in 2016.
A Mission Extended Thrice
The Smart Cities Mission was launched with the objective of improving the quality of life in selected urban centres by ensuring efficient public services, modern infrastructure, and sustainable development solutions. The programme was planned to be implemented in four phases and completed within five years.
However, the deadline has been extended three times first to June 2023, then to June 30, 2024, and finally to March 31, 2025 reflecting persistent implementation challenges.
As per the ministry’s reply, by December 2025, only 31 cities had been officially declared ‘smart cities’, at a cumulative cost of ₹59,385 crore over nearly 10 years.
Phased Selection of Cities
The ministry clarified that the selection of cities under the Smart Cities Mission took place in phases:
- Phase 1: 20 cities selected in January 2016
- Phase 2: 40 cities selected between May and September 2016
- Phase 3: 30 cities selected in June 2017
- Phase 4: 10 cities selected by January 2018
Despite the structured rollout, progress has varied widely across states and urban regions.
Area-Based Development, Not Entire Cities
In its RTI reply, the ministry emphasised that the Smart Cities Mission was never intended to transform entire cities. Instead, it focused on area-based development, including redevelopment of selected zones, creation of green spaces, improved public transport, digital infrastructure, and sustainable urban solutions.
The model was designed to create replicable urban development templates that could later be adopted by other parts of the city and by non-selected cities.
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Project Completion Status
According to official data, as of June 24, 2025, 8,067 projects about 94 per cent of the total sanctioned projects have been completed across the 100 cities, involving an expenditure of approximately ₹1.64 lakh crore.
However, completion of individual projects has not necessarily translated into full ‘smart city’ status for many cities, officials noted.
Cities Declared ‘Smart’
The 31 cities declared as smart cities include:
Agartala, Agra, Atal Nagar, Bareilly, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dahod, Erode, Indore, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Kohima, Madurai, Moradabad, Patna, Pune, Rajkot, Ranchi, Salem, Shivamogga, Solapur, Surat, Tuticorin, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Tumakuru, Udaipur, Vadodara and Varanasi.
Among these, Indore recorded the highest number of completed projects at 231, followed by Tumakuru (217), Udaipur (143), Jabalpur (130) and Varanasi (117).
Cities With Highest Spending
The RTI response highlighted that the highest expenditure among the smart cities was recorded in:
- Indore: 231 projects, ₹3,751 crore
- Tripura: 28 projects, ₹2,833 crore
- Surat: 87 projects, ₹2,694 crore
- Varanasi: 117 projects, ₹3,342 crore
- Salem: 114 projects, ₹1,861 crore
- Shivamogga: 112 projects, ₹1,381 crore
Officials declined to comment further on expenditure patterns, citing lack of authorisation.
Cities Near Completion
The ministry said that 43 cities are close to completing their Smart Cities projects, including Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Bhagalpur, Panaji, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Shimla, Jammu, Bengaluru, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kochi, and Thiruvananthapuram, among others.
Cities Still Facing Delays
Meanwhile, 26 cities will require additional time to complete their projects. These include Port Blair, Kakinada, Tirupati, Itanagar, Pasighat, Biharsharif, and Srinagar, among others.
The RTI response did not specify revised timelines for these cities.
Questions Over Execution
The data has renewed questions over execution efficiency, funding utilisation, and coordination between central, state, and local authorities. While the mission has delivered visible improvements in select urban pockets, critics argue that uneven progress and repeated deadline extensions dilute its original vision.
Despite repeated requests, senior officials holding additional charge of the Smart Cities Mission declined to comment on the findings, citing work commitments.
As the project enters its second decade, the RTI data underscores a stark reality: while much has been built, the promise of fully ‘smart’ cities across India remains a work in progress.
