By Paresh Shetty, CEO, Arya Omnitalk & Syntel by Arvind
As India’s urban population continues to surge, the challenge of keeping cities safe and responsive has grown ever more complex. According to a recent report by the road transport and highways ministry, in metropolitan Indian centres one out of every six recorded violent crimes occurred in cities in 2022, and annually, 168,491 road fatalities were recorded owing to traffic violations. Simultaneously, the market for IoT solutions in smart cities globally is expected to rise from about USD 195 billion in 2023 to nearly USD 953 billion by 2032, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% (SNS Insider). It’s within this milieu of urgent safety needs and accelerating technology adoption that the fusion of GPS devices, IoT sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly transforming how cities operate, protect, and learn.
In India’s smart-city narrative, the new paradigm is not simply “more radios, more cameras” but intelligent infrastructure that senses, thinks, and responds. For electronics engineers, embedded-systems professionals, and AI specialists, the opportunity lies in designing systems that combine hardware design, sensor fusion, connectivity, and machine learning in urban settings. Here’s how the pieces come together, and why they matter for city safety.
Electronics and Connectivity Foundations
At the core of every smart city is a network of connected devices working together to enhance safety and resilience. Technologies like advanced GPS and navigation systems powered by India’s NAVIC enable precise vehicle tracking, route monitoring, and geofencing. Compact IoT edge devices further collect data on driver behaviour and vehicle performance, built to withstand India’s diverse conditions.
AI-powered dashcams have transformed surveillance by detecting violations like helmetless riding and wrong-side driving in real time, with some cities now capturing up to 87% (ASTraM) of cases through AI-enabled cameras. This is supported by an edge–cloud framework where instant safety actions happen locally, while cloud systems analyze data for long-term insights.
Telematics Control Units (TCUs) act as communication hubs within vehicles, ensuring rapid responses in emergencies. Backed by high-speed networks like 5G and NB-IoT, India’s cities are now leveraging real-time intelligence to build safer, more responsive, and future-ready urban environments.
Putting the Technologies to Work
Foundational technologies are already reshaping urban safety across India and beyond. AI-enabled dashcams now detect violations like wrong-way driving in real time, improving enforcement and driver training. Integrated sensor networks combining video, radar, and environmental data help identify congestion, potholes, and hazards, as seen in Hyderabad’s IoT-based noise monitoring, which mapped pollution trends through over 4.3 lakh (Cornell University) data points in 27 days. In fleets, rugged IoT devices track driver behaviour, predict maintenance, and boost reliability, while smart monitoring stations measure air quality, traffic, and road conditions to help authorities prevent accidents and infrastructure failures.
Powering the Future of Smart Cities Through Intelligent Hardware
For professionals in electronics and AI, the convergence of hardware, connectivity, and intelligence presents both challenge and opportunity. Designing edge devices that can run AI models like neural nets and anomaly detection on limited solar or battery power demands efficient circuits, low-power processors, and smart firmware. Real-time insights rely on sensor data fusion, combining GPS, cameras, radar, and environmental sensors, which requires precise synchronization and interpretation.
In India, ensuring reliable connectivity amid heat, dust, dense urban zones, and vibration-heavy transit systems adds another layer of complexity. Engineers are also pushing for smarter AI at the edge, where lighter models must still detect subtle safety threats like distracted driving or pedestrian intrusion. Above all, security is non-negotiable: from secure boot and encrypted communication to over-the-air updates and device authentication. With over 60% of India’s smart-city projects citing cybersecurity as a major concern, resilience must be built in from day one.
What This Means for Cities and Citizens
When fully realised, the electronics-driven safety revolution delivers clear benefits for cities and citizens alike. AI dashcams, smart sensors, and connected networks enable faster detection and response to incidents, with automatic alerts sent to control centres during accidents or breakdowns. Smarter fleet systems in commercial and public transport reduce risky driving, prevent breakdowns, and improve reliability, enhancing overall road safety and reducing congestion.
Continuous real-time data empowers planners to predict maintenance needs, reroute traffic before gridlock, and identify accident-prone zones for targeted interventions. Enhanced transparency and accountability through sensor logs, video evidence, and GPS tracking foster trust and fairer enforcement. Finally, smarter traffic management and IoT-driven infrastructure, like adaptive street lighting that responds to pedestrian movement, create cleaner, greener, and safer cities, advancing both sustainability and safety goals.
Challenges Ahead
Despite its immense promise, the electronics-driven safety revolution faces several challenges. Harsh environmental conditions in Indian cities, heat, dust, monsoon rains, and vibration, demand rugged, low-maintenance, and affordable devices. Legacy infrastructure adds complexity, as integrating IoT, GPS, and AI into older roads, vehicles, and systems is often costly and technically difficult.
Affordability and scalability remain major hurdles for resource-constrained municipalities, with estimates suggesting India may need USD 30 to 40 billion between 2025 and 2030 to build a full 5G–IoT smart-city ecosystem. Cybersecurity and privacy risks also loom large: every connected device expands the attack surface, and over 60% (a 2024 NASSCOM study) of India’s smart-city projects cite these as critical concerns. Finally, the human factor, from skilled training and governance to disciplined maintenance and operations, will determine how effectively technology translates into real-world safety and resilience.
Way Forward
For India to fully tap the potential of GPS, IoT, and AI in urban safety, three priorities are key: localising AI models for India’s traffic and conditions, boosting domestic manufacturing of sensors and devices to cut costs, and establishing common standards and collaboration for interoperability and security. The aim is not just smarter cities, but safer, more human-centred ones, where technology anticipates risks, enhances wellbeing, and builds citizen trust. As these technologies converge, India’s engineers and AI experts are crafting cities that see, sense, and respond, strengthening the bond between people and their urban environments.
