Criticism:

Various economists, political observers and thinkers believe that developing such gigantically expensive mega-structures won't help Indian citizens much as the country is still facing problems of acute hunger and chronic poverty. Developing 100 smart cities would cost $2 trillion (KPMG India). Furthermore, with a population of 1 lakh in a city, the cost of infrastructure for each person would be around $23,000 whereas ironically India's per capita income is $1600 (World Bank).