Government of India awarded 11 cities including Bhubaneswar with the prestigious title of being India’s Top 11 Cycling Pioneers

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar:28/7/21: The Government of India awarded 11 cities including Bhubaneswar with the prestigious title of being India’s Top 11 Cycling Pioneers. The award marks the start of the next stage of the first season of India Cycles4Change Challenge where 107 cities across the country came together to test, learn, and scale up different cycling-friendly initiatives, kickstarting India’s cycling revolution.

From the top 25 cities that were shortlisted earlier this year, a jury of renowned national and international transport experts selected the top 11 cities who shall receive an award of Rs 1 crore each to scale up their cycling initiatives. During the event, four cities received a special mention for their efforts in testing the pilot initiatives as part of the challenge.

Through an online event held today, Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), announced the Top 11 winning cities. The event was attended by officials from the Central and State Governments, and other stakeholders from all cities participating in India Cycles4Change Challenge. The event also marked the release of the first challenge report, and an online exhibition showcasing cities’ cycling journey.

The Ministry also announced the second season of the Challenge beginning in August, 2021, wherein fresh applications will be invited from all Smart Cities, capital cities of States/UTs and all cities that have an established Municipal Corporation

The first Challenge report

The India Cycles4Change Challenge launched its first report to the public — ’The Dawn of India’s Cycling Revolution’. The report is a celebration of the cities’ efforts in the challenge so far, and an indication of what’s to come in future. It documents key milestones achieved by the cities, lessons from on-ground tests and their plans for the coming year.

Launching an Online Exhibition

Celebrating India’s cycling revolution over the last year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched an online exhibition showcasing the journey of the top 25 cities. The cities have transformed their streets and launched initiatives to become cycling-friendly through their exemplary leadership, enthusiastic efforts, and effective collaboration with citizens. The exhibition is an invitation to citizens to learn more about what their cities have done and join hands with them to scale up these initiatives in Stage 2. The online exhibition can be viewed at https://smartnet.niua.org/indiacyclechallenge/online-exhibition-overview/

Way Forward

In the past year, the India Cycles4Change Challenge has inspired cities to adopt a new way of engaging with citizens to test innovative, inexpensive, and quick ideas to remove barriers to cycling. Going forward, cities will take their efforts up further— transforming the national programme into a city-led but community-driven movement.

India’s Cycling Pioneers (in alphabetical order)

The Top 11 Awardees

Bengaluru, Karnataka
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana
Kohima, Nagaland
Nagpur, Maharashtra
New Town Kolkata, West Bengal
Pimpri Chinchwad, Maharashtra
Rajkot, Gujarat
Surat, Gujarat
Vadodara, Gujarat
Warangal, Telangana

Jury Special Mentions

Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Gurugram, Haryana
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Other Cycling Pioneers

Davanagere, Karnataka
Hyderabad, Telangana
Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
Kochi, Kerala
Nashik, Maharashtra
New Delhi
Panaji, Goa
Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
Udaipur, Rajasthan