The 2nd edition of Smart Cities India Expo 2016 opened today at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The international knowledge platform for smart cities was inaugurated by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Power Minister Piyush Goyal. <br/><br/>Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prabhu said, transport plays the role of lifeline in a smart city and hence soon India will see new railway stations made with impeccable design and friendly human interface. Special attention needs to be paid to management of natural resources so that the ecological balance is not tampered, he said.<br/><br/>Guest of Honour at the event Piyush Goyal, said, India has challenges, but in those challenges lies the unparalleled opportunities. He said, smarter solutions need to be scalable, affordable and fast in their implementation so that the country drives benefit from them.<br/><br/>325 companies from 40 countries are participating in the three day Smart Cities Expo, which include Holland, Poland, Sweden and Taiwan. Multi-sectoral conference sessions have been organized to stimulate insights on smart solutions for citizen friendly and economically viable cities in India. <br/><br/>The expo is supported by 10 central government ministries. Focus areas include clean energy; disaster management; education and skills to build smart cities; e-Governance; green buildings; IT & communications; safety & security; smart environment; smart grid; smart health; smart manufacturing; make in India; smart transport; urban planning; waste and water management; etc.