Global Companies Behind Dholera Smart City International Experts Building India’s First World-Class Smart City

The Global Companies Behind Dholera Smart City

Not just a smart city, Dholera is a global smart city. Built with amenities that match global standards, seamless international connectivity, and tech-integrated utilities, Dholera is New India’s smart city. Just by 2040, it is expected to contribute USD 90 billion to the Indian economy. And that is only becoming possible because of the global team that’s building it. A city designed to lead the industrial scene across India is being planned and developed by master planners.

Master Planning of Dholera by Halcrow – The Urban Visionaries

• Halcrow Group is a UK-based company, an engineering consultancy founded more than 150 years ago. They specialize in planning and design of urban infrastructure across the world. They have a solid track record of working in over 69 countries - from Dubai to London. Transportation and water systems are their expertise.
• Halcrow’s long-standing legacy is why they were chosen to design Dholera Smart City. Halcrow has planned the entire greenfield smart city spanning over 920 sq. km. They have divided the region into 6 planning schemes for phase-wise structured development. They have also created demarcated zones such as industrial, commercial, residential, and IT to accelerate growth.
• Dholera Smart City layout is planned neatly to demarcate different zones, yet create overlapping zones for smooth transitions. Halcrow has smartly used the ‘Live-Work-Play’ philosophy, creating residential zones for living, industrial and commercial zones for work, and recreational zones for play.

AECOM (USA) – Program Management & Infrastructure Execution

• AECOM stands for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management. It is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas. It is in charge of Dholera’s program management and infrastructure design & execution.
• Currently, AECOM is implementing the following in Dholera Smart City -
• 72 km internal road network (18m to 70m wide roads)
• Complete trunk infrastructure from roads and rail to drainage, water supply, and treatment plants
• India’s first underground utility corridors on such a large scale
• BIM (Building Information Modeling) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integration
• With its love for developing technologically advanced societies, it has gained recognition across the world. Some of its renowned projects also include 1,776-foot One World Trade Center, the Burj Khalifa, construction management, and the Underwater Domes of Istanbul.
• According to AECOM’s Senior Vice President, "Dholera Gujarat is becoming the role model for future Indian cities."

Wipro, IBM & Cisco – The ICT & Digital Brain

The ICT & Digital Pillar of Dholera SIR consists of 3 companies - Wipro, Cisco, and IBM.

• Wipro: Wipro is the ICT consultant looking after the information and communication technology infrastructure design. It also takes care of the smart city platform integration.
• Cisco: Cisco has built the ICT master plan, which includes a smart networking plan, the IoT infrastructure, as well as the command & control center technology.
• IBM: IBM is the implementation partner. From data analytics systems to AI-powered city management, all implementations are overlooked by IBM. It also puts into operation smart governance platforms.

The Team of Global Experts Involved in Making Dholera "Smart"

Some other international and national teams are helping make Dholera ‘smart’.

Key Highlights Of Dholera SIR

Dholera area in sq km: 922.5 sq km (larger than Singapore)

• 72 km of internal roads in activation area
• 99% trunk infrastructure complete in the Activation Area
• 5,000 MW solar park capacity
• ₹3,000 crore central government investment
• 70+ countries where Halcrow has executed projects
• 6 international benchmarking areas studied
• 24x7 power and water supply with redundancy
• Underground utility corridor – first in India at this scale
• 2 million projected population by 2040

International Benchmarking: How Dholera Learns from Global Smart Cities

Every single infrastructure in Dholera Gujarat is being built to match global standards.

International Benchmarking: Learning From the World’s Best Smart Cities

In a smart city, international benchmarking means adopting best practices from successful global cities. What this will essentially do in smart city Dholera is help in avoiding common mistakes and make big strides in accelerating development.

• Let’s look at 6 key benchmarking areas and understand them individually:

Area 1: Solid Waste Management

Area 2: Road Design & Transportation

Area 3: Water & Waste Water Management

Area 4: Storm Water Management

Area 5: Power & ICT Infrastructure

Area 6: Urban Planning & City Management

Learning 1: Solid Waste Management

Dholera studied 3 global models for planning its solid waste management Brussels for its automated waste collection systems, Songdo (South Korea) for its pneumatic waste disposal, and New York for its bio-methane and waste-to-energy system.

After thoroughly studying these models, smart city Dholera incorporated the following in its plan:

• 100% domestic waste collection
• 100% industrial effluent collection
• Bio-methanation and incinerator technology
• Waste-to-energy conversion plants
• Maximum recycling and reuse systems

Learning 2: Road Layout & Transport

3 global models were studied for developing the road design and transportation of Dholera SIR. These were - London for its multi-modal transport integration, New York for its smart traffic management, and Singapore for its underground utilities with road design.

These models helped create a customised roadmap for Dholera, which includes:

• Roads with cycle tracks and footpaths
• Trees and plants integrated into road design
• 18m to 70m wide roads (including 90m High Access Corridor)
• Reserved extra space for future transit (metro/BRT)

Learning 3: Water & Waste Water Management

Water is like the oxygen of a city. Thus, 3 classic global models were studied before designing a water and wastewater management system for Dholera. They are Singapore’s 100% water recycling (NEWater model), California’s smart water grid with IoT sensors, and Hong Kong’s dual water supply systems.

Key elements from these that are included in Dholera’s plan are:

• 100% recycling and reuse of water
• Smart meters for real-time monitoring
• SCADA sensors for pressure and quality
• Dual water supply: Potable and recycled
• The Narmada River pipeline and desalination plant are still being studied for their feasibility

Learning 4: Storm Water Management

Some models that were studied before Dholera’s storm water management was planned were Brussels’s open storm canal systems, Songdo’s rainwater harvesting, and New York’s green infrastructure approach.

Dholera learnt and implemented from these models the following:

• 100% rainwater collection
• Open storm canal with recreational spaces
• Flood-resistant design with automated sensors
• Excess water discharge system during heavy rainfall

Learning 5: Power & ICT Infrastructure

Singapore’s 24/7 power with redundancy, London’s underground utility corridors, and Canada & Denmark’s renewable energy engineering (integration) are just some of the many high-achieving models that Dholera Smart City’s makers studied to develop a global-level power and ICT infrastructure.

Here’s what Dholera adopted from them:

• 24x7 uninterrupted power supply
• ICT technology, designed by Cisco
• WiFi-enabled with an integrated city management system
• Underground utility ducts for power, fiber, and gas
• Solar power integration (5,000 MW solar park)
• Dual power sources from two different DISCOMs to ensure semiconductor reliability

Learning 6: City Planning

The globe’s top models of urban planning and city management include London for its mixed-use development zones, Chicago for transit-oriented development, and Milton Keynes (UK) for new town planning principles. These were the basis for developing Dholera’s urban planning and city management. Today, smart city Dholera’s planning has

• Clear zoning: Industrial, Residential, Commercial, IT/ITeS, Recreation
• High-density transit corridors
• Green spaces and recreational zones
• Command & Control Center (ICCC) for real-time city management
• E-governance and single-window clearance systems

Plug-and-Play Infrastructure Model of Dholera SIR

What does "Plug & Play" Infrastructure mean?

Plug and play infrastructure in Dholera means industrial and commercial Dholera SIR plots are ready-to-use, equipped with all necessary utilities and compliances. All utilities have been made available at the plot boundary. This essentially means no waiting time for companies to set up operations.

What makes Dholera's underground utility corridor unique?

• Above-ground utilities that stand out in Dholera’s infrastructure include roads with cycle tracks and footpaths, trees and plants, smart street lighting, ICT towers with WiFi, and EV charging stations.
• Unique below-ground utilities (underground corridor) in Dholera includeICT (fiber optic cables) with power lines, sewer/industrial effluent pipes, potable water supply, storm water drainage, median space reserved for future transit, and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) distribution.

These utilities don’t just uplift the living experience but also pose as revolutionary changes in infrastructure in the following ways:

• No overhead cables, meaning a clean and aesthetic cityscape
• Easy maintenance without digging up roads
• Future-ready for technology upgrades
• Reduces setup time for industries in Dholera from years to months

3.3 The "4As City" Vision

A quote from Alkesh Sharma, the CEO of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), explains how Dholera is a 4As city vision

• Accessible: Dholera is connected by the Dholera-Ahmedabad Expressway, metro, Dholera Airport, and freight railways.
• Adaptable: The Gujarat smart city’s infrastructure is built such that it learns and adapts using IoT/AI.
• Affordable: Dholera has lower industrial setup costs for companies and affordable housing in residential zones.
• Aspirational: Dholera’s overall quality of life is no less than that of any top global city today. Everything here matches relevant global standards.

Dholera vs Global Smart Cities: A Comparison

Here’s a quick glimpse of how Dholera Smart City project is different from other global and Indian smart cities:

Dholera is equipped with many other smartly planned infrastructure like Dholera Airport, Dholera-Ahmedabad Expressway, Dholera Activation Area, and high-return residential zones. Dholera’s residential zone has one of the highest returns in India. Westwyn Estate is Dholera’s top residential project in the SIR’s prime location. Whoever invests in it today is expected to get up to 5X returns within the next decade. So don’t miss this golden opportunity; invest today.

Investor Implications: Why Dholera Smart City Is a High-Growth Investment

Why Does Having Global Experts Affect Returns

Global consultants mean the project is more likely than not to be a game-changer in the country’s economy. But why is it considered so?

• Credibility: Having global consultants builds investor trust because the world’s best firms have a history of successful and landmark projects.
• Quality assurance: When global consultants get involved, it is a guarantee that international standards will be met and no mediocre work will be permitted.
• Long-term value: When the best minds get together, the impact is meant to stay for decades together. Global-level infrastructure is built to last 50+ years.
• Technology future-proofing: Top consultants are always visionary and adaptable. That is what sets them apart. With such meticulous planning, Dholera will be ready for smart mobility, 5G, as well as AI.

Red Flags if a Project Lacks International Standards

We now know how global consultants ensure that a region’s growth skyrockets. But how do we know if a project lacks international standards?

❌ No master plan documentation

❌ Overhead cables instead of underground utilities

❌ Narrow roads (less than 12m width)

❌ No mention of TP scheme or RERA approval

❌ No connection to trunk infrastructure

Conclusion: Why Dholera Smart City’s Global Blueprint Is Important

Dholera Special Investment Region is not just another Indian project; it’s a global gateway for trade, IT, and innovation. Dholera Airport offers seamless connectivity from local to international markets. Its biggest advantage is that it has studied and learnt from the challenges faced by other cities - such as traffic congestion and water scarcity and has mitigated them from the beginning through proactive, future-ready planning.

What makes it truly unique is that it is built not only with today’s latest technologies, but also with the flexibility to adapt to technologies of the future. Thus, investment in Dholera Smart City project means investing in world-class infrastructure for India’s bright future. As a greenfield smart city, Dholera is among the very few Indian cities developed entirely from scratch to global standards. Dholera is redefining India’s smart city landscape.