Dubai Holding has opened the Kochi Smart City project in the Indian state of Kerala, the UAE state news agency WAM reported.
Kochi Smart City is being developed across 246 acres, it was reported. Fourteen million square feet (1,300,643sqm) will be used for the construction of the project, including 6.5 million square feet (603,870sqm) designed specifically for knowledge and IT-related services.
The remaining space will be allocated for schools, colleges, retail shops and hotels. The project will contribute to creating more than 90,000 new jobs in the state by 2020.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Future, and Chairman of Dubai Holding, said the launch of the project “comes within the framework of strengthening partnership and cooperation between the UAE and the Republic of India.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE last August, announcing his intention to build 100 smart cities in India.
The Kochi Smart City project, said to be similar to the Dubai Internet City, is one of several smart city projects being developed by Dubai Holding worldwide, such as Malta Smart City.
“Our efforts to build smart cities began since establishment of the Dubai Internet City in 1999, to create an economic incubator that enables the major players in the technology sector to manage their business and activities from the UAE successfully,” Al Gergawi said.