Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and University College London (UCL) have joined forces to apply artificial intelligence, digital twins and climate analytics to infrastructure and urban planning across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The partnership proposes a Centre of Excellence on Climate-Resilient Urban Systems and Sustainable Urban and Regional Development. MMRDA says the facility would be the first of its kind in India at a metropolitan scale with an international university as knowledge partner.
Technology will form a key part of the collaboration. AI, digital twins, advanced environmental data systems and climate analytics are expected to support planning and management across transport networks, public utilities, buildings and ecological assets.
The partners will also explore predictive maintenance, infrastructure health monitoring, risk-informed decision-making and AI-enabled monitoring. Joint research will cover climate-risk modelling, energy mapping, environmental impact assessment, carbon-footprint optimisation, nature-based solutions and circular-economy practices.
The initiative follows an MoU signed by MMRDA and UCL at the Invest Maharashtra launch. Professional training and academic collaboration are also planned in climate science, resilient planning, environmental governance, disaster-risk reduction and sustainable mobility.
The partnership could give MMRDA new data-driven tools for planning infrastructure, anticipating asset risks and improving long-term climate resilience.