New Delhi: France has officially declared a 100 million Euro loan to aid India’s Smart Cities Mission and advance the CITIIS 1 program.
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, France’s Minister of State for Development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships, made the announcement of this loan agreement recently. The agreement was reached between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Indian government.
According to an official release, this loan is intended to support India’s Smart Cities Mission and extend the CITIIS 1 program, which also receives backing from the European Union and is administered by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), a think tank under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The CITIIS 1.0 program, introduced in 2018, has already benefited 12 city-level projects, aiding them in enhancing their capabilities and implementing inventive solutions for sustainable mobility, public open spaces, urban e-governance and ICT, and social and organisational innovation in low-income communities.
From environmentally friendly designs, the involvement of urban local authorities and citizens, and the management of environmental and social risks to ensure social inclusivity, the project supports India in its journey towards urban sustainability.
The European Union has provided technical assistance to the CITIIS 1.0 program with a contribution of six million euros.
The program’s second edition now concentrates on the circular economy and integrated solid waste management. It follows the same successful approach but has an expanded budget of 212 million euros, which also includes a loan from Germany’s Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) and a 12-million-euro grant from the European Union as part of its flagship Global Gateway strategy.
Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, noted the mounting challenge Indian cities face in solid waste management, with 62 million tons of municipal solid waste generated annually, a figure set to rise to 165 million tons per year by 2030.
The Indian government is making substantial investments in efficient waste collection, segregation, recycling, and treatment, with the private sector playing a significant role.
Minister of State Chrysoula Zacharopoulou welcomed the agreement and said, “France, together with Team Europe, is proud to support this programme, which will be key in building cleaner, greener, and more sustainable cities in India.”
The CITIIS approach not only addresses the health and environmental consequences of waste but also creates economic prospects and fosters positive social outcomes for the population.
This project exemplifies how the European Union’s flagship Global Gateway strategy can assist key partners like India in balancing economic development with environmental protection while constructing the infrastructure of the future.
Seppo Nurmi, Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the Delegation of the EU, emphasised the role of cities as engines of growth for both the EU and India and the need for sustainable models to address climate change and environmental challenges.
He expressed the EU’s satisfaction in providing technical support to Indian cities in their journey toward self-reliance and future readiness, underlining India’s significance as a key partner in the Global Gateway Strategy.
