India-EU plans eco-city projects on PPP model

The Union government and European Union are planning for PPPs in EU eco-city projects covering the energy sector involving public lighting, waste-to-energy project and rooftop solar facility in Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune. In fact, the Italian private investment in Gujarat wind power, Germany's euro 1.7bn investment for 7,700km transmission lines, EIB-SBI euro 25m equity for renewables and energy efficiency and joint research projects on smart grids and storage, and will also work with International Solar Alliance. To boost partnership in the transport sector, EU plans investment of euro 3.5bn in railway or metro projects in Lucknow, Bengaluru, Pune, Bhopal, Kanpur, Nagpur; planned metros in Agra, Surat and Ahmedabad, Italian cooperation with National Infrastructure Investment Fund and possible new air routes for enhanced direct air connectivity among other projects. In the science and research field, EU and India are aiming at innovation partnership connecting 100 incubators, India-Denmark green partnership, Horizon 2020, promotion of two-way academic mobility among other programs. The combined market size of India and the EU is 1.8 billion people and their combined GDP is Euro 16.5 trillion with Euro 78bn trade in goods in 2019, the EU was India's largest trading partner in 2019 and second-largest export destination.