Open Session at the Smart City Expo World Congress of the V Spain-India Forum

The final session of the 5th Spain-India Forum was held as an open forum within the framework of the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. At this global congress on smart cities, the Forum's colloquium highlighted the role of the Asian country as an emerging urban power, as well as its potential for collaboration with Spain in areas such as digitalization, mobility, and Artificial Intelligence. The session was moderated by Pau Solanilla, partner at Harmon Corporate Affairs, and featured the participation of Shaval Desai and Nandan Dawda, researchers from the Observer Research Foundation; Elena Gómez Castro, Special Ambassador for the Indo-Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; and María Galindo, Secretary of Digital Policies of the Government of Catalonia.

Ambassador Elena Gómez Castro emphasized the importance of the bilateral relationship between Spain and India, noting that “Spain and India share essential characteristics: consolidated democracies, a commitment to multilateralism and international law, as well as solidarity, and both are global powers. Furthermore, next year we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This underscores the strength and enduring nature of our ties.” The diplomat highlighted President Pedro Sánchez’s visit to India as a step forward and announced that the celebration will be centered around the Spain-India Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence. She also pointed out that “Spain and India have been fundamental in the development and launch of the G20 Global Alliance of Smart Cities, with Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Córdoba, Mangalore, and Indore as pioneering cities among the 36 participating cities.”

Dhaval Desai, for his part, explained the urban transformation taking place in his country: “What has really happened, especially in the last fifteen years, is that we have witnessed—and I have witnessed it myself—a radical transformation of urbanization in India. It has been a story of large-scale innovation and new systems of governance. By 2050, India will add 400 million people to its urban area. To give you an idea, that's equivalent to adding the entire country of Europe, including England, to our urban area, or ten Spains that would then have to move into India.” Desai highlighted policies such as Amrut 2.0 and the National Urban Digital Mission, which encompass more than 5,800 projects with a cost of nearly €90 billion, and added that “our cities are learning to balance digital ambition and economic growth with social inclusion. And I think that is fundamental.”

María Galindo focused her remarks on the Catalan technology ecosystem, stating that “the digital sector represents around 14% of our GDP in Catalonia and is growing year after year. More and more companies are establishing their innovation and technology centers here. A recent study counted 160 technology centers in Catalonia, belonging to companies in diverse sectors, from biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to automotive, among many others. This means we are on the right track.” The Secretary of Digital Policies emphasized the need to align public and private efforts and announced that “we have just launched our space technology strategy. We will soon launch an AI strategy that aligns with the Spanish government's and the European Union's AI strategies.” Galindo stressed that talent is the biggest challenge and that cooperation with India can be key to addressing it.

Nandan Dawda, a mobility expert, explained that “urban mobility is not limited to simply moving people around, but also involves inclusion and opportunities for public transport users and citizens. Both India and Spain, in a way, are working in the same direction, although perhaps in different ways. The ultimate goal is, of course, to create cleaner, safer, and more inclusive urban mobility.” Dawda detailed shared and electric mobility initiatives in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, and noted that “Spain contributes urban design, operational excellence, and people-centered planning. India contributes digital agility, scale, and affordability. These are, therefore, the ways in which I believe urban mobility can definitely benefit.”

The discussion also addressed the relationship between smart cities and democracy. Gómez Castro recalled that “during the 21st century, cities have become engines of innovative and sustainable development. And if there is sustained development, societies change and create new models. And for that to happen, multilateralism is essential.” Dhaval Desai added that “Indian cities are not only becoming smarter, but are also becoming digitally democratized, ensuring that technology serves citizens and not the other way around.”

The session concluded with a call to think utopically about the future of cities. Dawda summarized that “India’s urban transport system is at its peak and numerous innovations are taking place,” while the speakers agreed that cooperation between India and Spain can be crucial in addressing the urban challenges of the 21st century.

Speakers at the session:

▪️ Pau Solanilla Franco, Partner at Harmon Corporate (moderador)
▪️ Dhaval Desai, Vice-president and Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation
▪️ Nandan Dawda, Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation
▪️ María Galindo, Secretary for Digital Policies, Generalitat de Catalunya
▪️ Elena Gómez Castro, Ambassador on Special Assignment to the Indo-Pacific