United Nations India and the National Institute of Urban Affairs co-organised the Smart Solutions Challenge and Inclusive Awards 2022 on 1 September 2022. Nidhi Goyal, Founder and Executive Director, moderated its jury panel on on ‘Leveraging Innovation and Technology as Enablers for Inclusion’ with speakers including Mr. Padam Vijay (Senior Technical Advisor, NIUA), Ms. Parul Agarwala (Country Programme Manager, UN-Habitat), Mr. Purushottam Kaushik (Head, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (India), World Economic Forum), Ms. Shivani Gupta (Technical Advisor Inclusion, Community Based Inclusive Development Initiative, CBM International), Prof. Gaurav Raheja (HOD, Architecture and Urban Planning, IIT Roorkee), Ms. Papiya Sarkar (Chief Architect, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) and Mr. Dilip Ramesh (Co-Founder, Thinkerbell Labs).
“Leave No One Behind” was a major theme running through the discussion as Digital India and Accessible India need to go hand in hand when our smart cities and urban spaces are being created and built. It was highlighted that there is an urgent need for technology and innovation that is people-centric, community-led, and ethical and it is time we deliver on our commitment to building sustainable and resilient urban futures.