Build smart infrastructure to improve ease of access: DEA Secy Ajay Seth

Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth on Thursday underlined the need for building smart infrastructure to improve ease of access.

He was addressing a virtual workshop on 'Supporting Startups in Infrastructure', organised by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance.

Seth said mainstreaming technology and leveraging analytics in core infrastructure activities such as construction, asset management and mobility are some of the critical areas where startups and governments can begin to collaborate.

He stressed that it was not important to build more but to build smart with smart design to improve ease of access.

Key infrastructure players from the private sector, including startups, also shared their experiences of working with innovative solutions in public infrastructure delivery, including within the government, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Startup India also presented a framework for enabling ministries and departments to launch their own startup challenges, it said.

The workshop was attended by more than 150 officials from all infrastructure ministries, key PSUs, and senior representatives of private startups.

The workshop, organised as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, was a precursor for an actionable way forward wherein ministries and departments will work towards launching their own startup challenges, it added.