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The central government has issued a new advisory urging states and union territories to integrate Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) into long-term urban governance frameworks. Originally created under the Smart Cities Mission, these entities are now expected to sustain themselves by offering consultancy and services. The advisory highlights that SPVs can manage citywide data analytics and system operations, while ICCCs should serve as permanent urban nerve centres under urban development departments. With over 93% of the 8,000+ mission projects completed and 99.44% of the INR 48,000 crore budget disbursed, the mission has made notable progress. However, the government is now focusing on institutionalising these tools to ensure cities retain and build upon digital and operational advancements. This marks a shift from short-term implementation to long-term sustainability, aiming to equip cities with robust governance mechanisms for future urban challenges.
The central government has recently issued a fresh advisory, nudging states and union territories to ensure that SPVs and ICCCs are fully functional across every Smart City and folded into long-term governance frameworks. It recommended that these entities begin charging for consultancy and services, which would help sustain their operations beyond the initial mission timeline. Advertisement
The advisory highlights that SPVs originally created to oversee Smart Cities projects are now well-placed to handle citywide cyber hygiene, data analytics, and system management. ICCCs, meanwhile, are envisioned as the nerve centres of urban operations and state-level analytical hubs, ideally remaining under urban development departments' control. The government emphasised that these bodies could also spearhead city economic growth by coordinating project structuring, procurement, and stakeholder engagement among different levels of government.
According to the advisory, institutional and technical capabilities built within SPVs should be realigned to tackle evolving urban challenges, transforming them into agile, multi-functional organisations that align with both city and state priorities. This follows a period in which the government had reportedly been preparing such guidance as the mission approached its conclusion earlier this spring.
To date, more than 93 percent of the mission's 8,000 plus projects have been completed, and the Centre has disbursed nearly 99.44 percent of its INR 48,000 crore budget an indicator of the Smart Cities Mission's significant progress. However, despite these achievements, outcomes have varied across regions, and the mission has drawn a mixed assessment overall.
The new advisory marks a strategic turning point for India's Smart Cities initiative by nudging SPVs and ICCCs toward self-sustaining, long-term operability. By empowering them to generate revenue and evolve into enduring urban governance institutions, the government aims to turn short-term mission tools into permanent assets for metropolitan progress. If effectively institutionalised, cities across India could continue to harness the digital and operational gains of the mission, meeting future urban challenges with greater resilience and innovation.
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