Gurugram has entered into a sister-city partnership with Stockholm, with the Haryana government hoping the tie-up will give the Millennium City a more European, cosmopolitan character. The city-to-city collaboration agreement was signed during Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s visit to Sweden.
Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel, who was part of the delegation, told The Tribune that this was the first time an Indian city had partnered with a European city under a sister-city arrangement. He said the partnership would help make Gurugram cosmopolitan in the true sense, given its large expatriate community and status as an investment hub. The government, he added, was working to give Gurugram the look and feel of a European city.
Under the agreement, Gurugram and Stockholm will cooperate on technological innovation, smart-city solutions, sustainable urban development, knowledge exchange and investment promotion. The collaboration is meant to build a long-term partnership between the two cities.
What Stockholm can offer Gurugram
Stockholm is widely cited as a global model for sustainable urban planning, and several of its practices could offer lessons for Gurugram’s civic challenges.
Waste management: Stockholm’s Hammarby Sjöstad district, built on a former industrial harbour, links energy, water and waste management in a closed loop. Underground vacuum pipes transport waste, and organic waste is converted into biogas.
Heating and energy: Stockholm’s district heating network recovers waste heat from sources such as data centres and supermarkets and feeds it into the heating system.
Mobility: The city combines trams, buses, ferries and cycling networks with a congestion tax in its centre.
Smart-city technology: Stockholm has undertaken initiatives on smart building controls, waste-heat recovery and integrated transport.
Gurugram has long struggled with garbage disposal, waterlogging and traffic congestion, which makes civic management and urban planning likely areas for cooperation. How much of Stockholm’s practices can be replicated in a rapidly growing Indian city will depend on funding and the willingness of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority taking up pilot projects.
Rs 4,000 crore in LoIs
The sister-city agreement came alongside Letters of Intent (LoIs) worth Rs 4,000 crore signed between the Haryana government and Swedish companies during the visit. These include an LoI worth Rs 3,000 crore and another involving Rs 1,000 crore for the retail and warehousing sectors.
Gurugram, the state’s main corporate and investment hub, is expected to benefit from the investments.
An LoI is a statement of intent and not a binding investment commitment. The names of the Swedish companies, project locations and timelines have not yet been disclosed.
