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

  • Addressing a silent disaster
    September 24, 2012
    As India's economy registers 9% annual growth, promising material super-power status by mid-century, the nation is barely beginning to address a silent disaster, that of road casualties It was Dr. P K Sikdar [a director of International Consultants and Technocrats/ICT and a former director of the Central Road Research Institute/CRRI] who coined the phrase "silent disaster."
    Read More
  • IRF Manifesto on Climate Change Adaptation released at COP22
    January 30, 2017
    Released in Morocco during COP22 negotiations, the document has generated enthusiasm in the sector and gained the support of partner organisations beside the endorsement from IRF Geneva membership around the world Under the leadership of the Moroccan Government, adaptation and action on adaptation has gained centre stage at COP22 hosted in Marrakech from 8 to 18 November 2016. As climate change and the threats its poses become increasingly apparent, it is also becoming clear that the transport sector is
    Read More
  • Building Tomorrow’s Transport Infrastructure Today – IRF Global in Washington
    May 2, 2018
    Preparations are underway for the world’s leading road, tunnel and bridge exhibition Produced by the International Road Federation, the IRF Global Road2Tunnel Expo & Conference is the only international conference and tradeshow of its kind dedicated to road, tunnel and bridge construction. “Technology and innovations are evolving at a pace never seen before in the history of the road and transport sector” noted IRF president & CEO C Patrick Sankey. “From innovations in materials, such as self-healing con
    Read More
  • India’s new expressway link
    April 12, 2021
    Accelerated road construction methods are being used to build an expressway link in India, setting records along the way
    Read More

Highlighted Content