With an objective of highlighting a development trajectory based on a combination of the attributes of knowledge and smartness in urban as well as rural settings, IMT Ghaziabad is organising a Conference on Smart Knowledge Habitats on September 21 and 22, 2017 at Delhi.

The term 'Smart Knowledge Habitats', coined by IMT Ghaziabad, while connoting a new way of looking at adoption of technology to design living places which offer a better quality of life, environmentally sustainable living and avenues for economic value generation, also endeavour to address the challenges of inclusive growth, on the whole.

Elaborating on the conference, the organiser, Surinder Batra, Professor, IMTG, says, "The concept of knowledge-based development and knowledge cities has been gaining currency in the last two decades. However, thanks to the advances in Information Technology, the manifestation of knowledge has undergone a major transformation in recent years leading to the emergence of the concept of smart cities. In India too, the concept of smart cities has caught up more attention with the recent announcement and implementation of the 100 Smart Cities Mission of the Government of India.”

He also added “A new thought process that has now started emerging is the potential of blending the concepts of knowledge cities and the smart cities, and recognition of the fact that rural segments of the world population will continue to be significant targets of knowledge-based development. This has led to the concept of 'Smart Knowledge Habitats'.”

Remarking on the conference, Atish Chattopadhyay, Director, IMTG, says, "This conference is a step towards promoting transdisciplinary research and connecting with the industry and thought leadership both globally and in India on currently relevant subjects. IMTG has been in the forefront of this kind of research, as it encourages fusion of studies in diverse areas such as Information & Communication Technology (ICT), economics and environment."

The two-day conference would essentially host ICT specialists from World Bank, international experts in the field of Knowledge Cities and Knowledge-Based Development from four countries, namely, UK, Austria, Germany and Mexico, and the crusaders for Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA).

Some of the eminent participants, amongst others, in the Conference include, Shashank Ojha, Head ICT and e- Government, World Bank; Nilesh Purey, the architect of the Gujrat International Finance Tec City (GIFT) Smart City in Gujarat and currently Vice President, Andhra Pradesh Assets Management Corporation Ltd.; Srijan Pal Singh, a close associate of former President, A P J Abdul Kalam; Wg. Cdr Pradeep Valsangkar, MD GCS Consulting and World Bank Consultant on Smart Cities; Mamta Sailkia, COO Bharti Foundation; and F J Carrillo, President, World Capital Institute.

The outcome of the workshop would include developing position papers on these important areas which will be shared with the concerned policy forums of the Government and other stakeholders.

In due course, the conference may lead to developing a curriculum for business schools like IMT, which meets the emerging needs of the industry in upcoming areas of Consulting for Smart Cities, Technology for Development, etc.

Established in 1980, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad (IMTG) is India's premier AACSB accredited management school with a distinct focus on grooming Leadership through Innovation, Execution and Social Responsibility.

An autonomous, not-for-profit institute, offering highly sought- after postgraduate programmes over the past more than three- and-a-half decades, IMTG currently offers four AICTE approved programmes - Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) Full Time, PGDM Executive, PGDM Part Time, and PGDM Dual Country Programme (DCP).
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While the first three programmes are offered at the IMTG campus in Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, India, the PGDM DCP is offered in collaboration with IMT Dubai campus. The Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) is the latest addition to the list which leads to PGDM Part Time.

IMTG has been consistently ranked among the top management institutes of the country for its Leadership, Faculty, Research, Student Selection Process, Curriculum, Pedagogy, Industry Interface, Internationalism, Placements, and Infrastructure.

Today, IMTG is the proud alma mater of more than 300 C- suite executives and thousands of professionals serving in leadership positions in the best-known organisations in India and the world, in key business functions of Sales, Operations, Human Resources, Consulting, Information Technology, Marketing, and Finance among others.