Cisco to help AP in making Vizag a smart city

Company will set up a skill development centre and will work with state govt to digitise education and healthcare

Global information technology networking major Cisco Systems has evinced interest in working with the Andhra Pradesh government in transforming Visakhapatnam as a smart city. Besides setting up a skill development centre to provide training, the company will be working with the state government in digitising the education and healthcare sectors.

Cisco’s chief technology officer, Padmasree Warrior, and president (globalisation and smart+connected communities), Anil Menon, were stated to have informed chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday that Visakhapatnam would be the first to be taken up by the company in the country for development as a smart city.

According to an official press release, Menon had informed the chief minister that the development model adopted by Cisco for Visakhapatnam would be replicated in other cities too. Naidu said that a task force would be constituted to follow up on the implementation aspects.

The chief minister was also stated to have held a meeting with Singapore consultants and advisors on the development of a new capital city. The consultants said they would assist the state’s Capital Region Development Authority to strategise on key areas of the capital such as infrastructure planning and development, housing, solid waste management and integrated transport systems.