Chandigarh, Feb 7: Only 31 out of 100 selected locations have been fully converted into “smart” cities over the last decade, according to data provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in a Right to Information (RTI) response. While the flagship mission began in 2016 with a five-year target, the deadline has been moved three times and is currently set for March 31, 2025.
The ministry noted that 43 cities are currently nearing completion, while 26 others will require additional time to finish their scheduled infrastructure works. As of December 2025, the 31 completed cities have seen a combined investment of Rs 59,385 crore. The mission focuses on area-based development, incorporating green spaces and modern service delivery models rather than rebuilding entire urban districts.
“The Smart City Mission was not aimed at developing an entire city,” the ministry mentioned in the reply, adding that the goal was to create replicable models for other regions. Despite the delay in total city conversions, the ministry noted that 94 percent of individual projects—totaling 8,067 units—have been finished across all 100 cities at a cost of Rs 1.64 lakh crore.
Among the 31 cities declared complete are Chandigarh, Indore, Bhopal, and Varanasi. Indore leads the group in terms of volume, with 231 projects finished at an expenditure of Rs 3,751 crore. Other high-spending regions mentioned in the response include Surat, where 87 projects were completed for Rs 2,694 crore, and Varanasi, which saw 117 projects at a cost of Rs 3,342 crore.
Officials from the Smart City Division remained tight-lipped regarding the details of the extensions. Joint Director Vivek Kumar said he was not authorized to provide further information. Similarly, Joint Secretary Rupa Mishra, who oversees the mission, did not share comments.
Cities still in the final stages of work include Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Shimla. Meanwhile, the ministry said that projects in 26 locations, including Srinagar, Port Blair, and Itanagar, are expected to take longer to reach the finish line.
