Skip to main content

IRF Geneva holds high level roundtables on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in India

The economic boom witnessed in India in the last two decades has led to an exponential increase in motorisation, urban traffic congestion and a dramatic deterioration of air quality. ITS can potentially alleviate many of these urban transport problems. IRF Geneva is organising a series of four roundtables on Intelligent Transport Systems, over a 12-month period, in India. These roundtables are a collaborative effort between companies and Indian government bodies and agencies to improve market conditions for
June 14, 2017 Read time: 3 mins
The aim of the IRF roundtables is to utilise the benefits of ITS to improve India’s road transport
The economic boom witnessed in India in the last two decades has led to an exponential increase in motorisation, urban traffic congestion and a dramatic deterioration of air quality


ITS can potentially alleviate many of these urban transport problems. 1201 IRF Geneva is organising a series of four roundtables on Intelligent Transport Systems, over a 12-month period, in India. These roundtables are a collaborative effort between companies and Indian government bodies and agencies to improve market conditions for the adoption and deployment of ITS in India.

The IRF-ITS Roundtables aim to facilitate and stimulate the deployment of safe, smart and sustainable ITS solutions for road networks. ITS has contributed to significantly reducing road crashes, congestion and pollution in many countries, but in India, the adoption and use of ITS has been limited.

The IRF-ITS Roundtables bring together national and local government officials, and industry leaders on one platform to jointly lead and transform policy, legislation, and technology. The aim is to create the right market conditions and partnerships to fully leverage the potential of ITS to benefit society and the economy.

The first roundtable was held in Delhi in November 2016. The second roundtable was held in Delhi in March 2017. These two roundtables identified the barriers to the widespread adoption and use of ITS in India, ways to reduce or eliminate these barriers, and explored ways to leverage ITS to address the problems of urban transport in India. The roundtables further identified pilot projects that the participating organisations could implement as “proof of concept” to demonstrate the potential of ITS. Currently, IRF Geneva is working, together with its partners, on several of these smart mobility pilot projects.

The final product of these roundtables will be a road map for the adoption and use of ITS to address the problems of urban transport in India. Specific solutions, based on the pilot projects, will be recommended, together with proposals on how to implement these recommendations.

The Indian 1143 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Niti Aayog, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), the 4218 Department of Heavy Industry, and the Delhi Police are among the organisations supporting and/or participating in the IRF ITS Roundtables. Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog, kicked off the series of roundtables on November 10th, 2016 at the Claridges Hotel in New Delhi. Kant said that he is a firm believer in: ”India`s ability to leapfrog with the further use of ITS.”

The organisations participating in these roundtables include Autostrade per L’Italia, BMW, Inrix, IPS, Swarco, Infrastructure Lease and Financial Services, National Highway Authority of India, National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, Skidata, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shell, PTV Group, and Streetsmart Technologies.

Related Content

  • IRF supports the Qatar Road Safety Forum 2016
    July 5, 2016
    IRF Geneva is pleased to join hands with IQPC and support the Qatar Road Safety Forum which will take place in Doha on 27-28 September 2016. This year saw the launch of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals which specified that road deaths need to be halved by 50% by 2020. This has prompted a greater focus on road safety with significant consideration made on evidence-based road safety strategies to achieve this goal. The authorities are currently gearing themselves up for a steep growth in po
  • The IRF Road Safety Challenge aims to cut the rate of deaths and injuries for Africa
    May 15, 2015
    With the IRF Road Safety Challenge launched in Addis Ababa in early March, IRF reiterates its strong commitment towards making the recommendations for the Decade of Action a reality worldwide In its commitment to act as a catalyst in raising awareness and in promoting immediate practical actions, IRF has brought together Ministers from all over Africa under the auspices of the African Union, the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). An IRF Africa Chapter under the requ
  • Thirst for Infrastructure: The Belt & Road Initiative
    November 8, 2017
    Susanna Zammataro, IRF Geneva, writes: The China Highway and Transportation Society (CHTS) – an esteemed member of IRF – will be hosting a special Session on the Belt and Road Initiative during the IRF World Meeting in Delhi, 14th-17th November 2017. Last May, president Xi Jinping welcomed 28 heads of state and government to Beijing to celebrate the “Belt and Road” initiative, an ambitious plan in terms of infrastructure development, but also in terms of foreign policy. Launched in 2013 as “One belt, On
  • India's road safety challenge
    December 10, 2015
    The Government of India (GoI) committed to improving road safety. The 9th IRF Regional Conference, “Road Safety Initiatives: Status and the way forward", was held on 5–6 October, 2015, in New Delhi, India. Nitin Gadkari, union minister for Road Transport and Highways, inaugurated the conference that focused on UN’s five-pillar strategy for improving road safety. The financing of measures to improve road safety as well as its monitoring and evaluation were also part of the conference programme. The c