India's Smart Cities Mission

Dr Pushpa Arabindoo was at the World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi, 9-13 February.

She had been invited by the French think tank, La Fabrique de la Cité, to participate in their session, Smart city, between global circulation and local cultures: For a cultural anthropology of urban uses of digital tech

Pushpa’s intervention, Everyday encounters in India's Smart Cities Mission: Maintenance and Repair, drew on comparisons between Chennai and Tiruppur to focus on competing notions of the digital, as well as the physical breakdown of urban infrastructure.

A highlight was the presence of Neelan, her five-year-old son, who was awarded his own badge and conference tag!