Surbana Jurong and KPMG to support Pimpri Chinchwad smart transformation

Singaporean urban planning and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong has been awarded the contract to support with the design and development of the Pimpri Chinchwad Smart City in India. The firm will work in partnership with global professional services firm KPMG.

Technological advancement has no doubt seeped into every economic segment, including urban planning. The Indian government recognised this in 2015, and took action to stay ahead of the curve by launching the Smart City Mission, which involves the redevelopment of smaller urban centres across the country to integrate technological enhancements.

Redevelopment projects are entirely government-funded, and are administered through special purpose vehicles (SPVs) created for their implementation. One such project is Pimpri Chinchwad in Mahrashtra, which has undergone a shift in recent years from a small cluster of villages to a regional urban hub.

The city has achieved a high standard of infrastructure and facilities, and is now hoping to integrate software into its daily operations to further improve the standard of living. To help with the redevelopment, the SPV for Pimpri Chinchwad has appointed Big four accounting and advisory firm KPMG, as well as Singapore-based urban planning giant Surbana Jurong.

One of the largest infrastructure consulting firms in Asia, Surbana Jurong employs more than 14,000 employees across over 120 offices in more than 40 countries. Its service offerings include architecture & landscaping, concept & feasibility studies, contract advisory, defence, development management, project management, and a host of others in the infrastructure domain. 

The firm secured the Pimpri Chinchad contract using support from ‘Enterprise Singapore,’ and will manage the “Area-Based Development” aspect of the project, which involves retrofitting for improvements, renewal of old facilities, and the identification of innovative and smart enhancements to the city.

In addition, the firm is responsible for the design, conceptualisation, implementation and deployment of targeted solutions that aim to make improvements to various dimensions of the city, such as “livability, urban design, transportation, water supply, solar power generation, sanitation, healthcare, education, security and surveillance,” read a statement from the firm.

Enterprise Singapore will also work with Surbana Jurong to seek opportunities for smaller companies from Singapore to participate in the redevelopment process. Meanwhile, KPMG will focus on the existing infrastructure in the city to apply smart solutions wherever possible – termed by the statement as “Pan City Development.”

Surbana Jurong’s CEO Wong Heang Fine said of the contract, “Surbana Jurong is proud to partner with Pimpri Chinchwad as it works towards becoming a Smart City and enhancing living standards for its residents in a sustainable way.”