Five global innovators selected to pilot data-driven, AI-powered solutions in Varanasi’s historic core, aiming to enhance crowd safety, accessibility, and mobility for residents and millions of annual visitors.
12 Aug 2025 | 2263 Views | By Sarthak Mahajan
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has announced the five finalists of its $3 million Sustainable Cities Challenge, aimed at improving crowd management in Varanasi’s historic core, also known as Kashi. The initiative seeks to address mobility challenges in one of India’s oldest and most visited urban areas, which sees millions ...
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The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has announced the five finalists of its $3 million Sustainable Cities Challenge, aimed at improving crowd management in Varanasi’s historic core, also known as Kashi. The initiative seeks to address mobility challenges in one of India’s oldest and most visited urban areas, which sees millions of residents and pilgrims annually.
Launched in collaboration with the City of Varanasi, Challenge Works, and the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Sustainable Cities Challenge invited global innovators to develop scalable solutions for managing pedestrian and pilgrimage flows in the city’s narrow, densely populated lanes. The challenge received submissions from around the world, with ten semi-finalists selected to refine their proposals over a six-month development phase. From this group, five teams have now advanced to the final stage.
Finalists were evaluated based on innovation, effectiveness, data integration, scalability, team expertise, and feasibility of implementation. Proposals were required to demonstrate measurable outcomes and the potential to enhance safety, accessibility, and navigation for both residents and visitors, while respecting the cultural and historical context of the city.
Each of the five finalist teams will receive $130,000 in funding to pilot their solutions in Varanasi over the coming months.
Arcadis, a global firm specializing in sustainable design and engineering, is proposing SANKALP, an integrated technology ecosystem that uses real-time data, simulation models, mobile platforms, and communication tools to enable proactive crowd management. The solution aims to shift from reactive interventions to predictive, data-driven strategies that improve movement efficiency and safety in high-density areas.
CITYDATA, Inc., a data and artificial intelligence company, is offering CityFlow, a cloud-based platform that leverages big data, computer vision, and generative AI to monitor and manage crowd movements in real time. Operating on the MASI framework, the system delivers actionable insights for urban planners and emergency responders without requiring additional hardware installations, making it a cost-effective and scalable option.
VOGIC AI, a company focused on vision-based AI applications for public good, is introducing Behtar-Way, described as India’s first AI-powered, community-focused pedestrian navigation system. The platform is designed to guide users—especially residents and first-time visitors—through safer, less congested alternative routes while equipping city officials with real-time crowd analytics to support decision-making during peak periods.
Prameya Consulting Private Limited, an urban planning and strategy firm, is developing Nayichaal, a “phygital” (physical + digital) AI-driven system that combines a multilingual chatbot, a mobile navigation app, physical wayfinding signage, and a centralized mobility dashboard. The integrated approach aims to improve inclusivity, reduce confusion, and enhance the overall movement experience for diverse user groups, including tourists, pilgrims, and people with disabilities.
The Urbanizer, an Indian urban design and architecture firm, is proposing Jan Jatra, a people-centered mobility solution that integrates local knowledge with color-coded wayfinding signage, dynamic digital displays, and tactical urbanism techniques. The project emphasizes human-centric design to improve navigation, reduce congestion, and enhance safety in Varanasi’s heritage zones, where space is limited and foot traffic is high.
The Varanasi Municipal Corporation and Varanasi Smart City, represented by Akshat Verma, Municipal Commissioner and CEO, noted that the challenge supports the city’s broader goals of balancing modernization with heritage preservation. “These solutions aim to improve mobility while maintaining the cultural and spiritual integrity of Kashi,” Verma said.
Pras Ganesh, Executive Program Director at the Toyota Mobility Foundation, highlighted the complexity of urban mobility in historic cities like Varanasi. “The finalists demonstrated strong contextual understanding and practical approaches to a challenging environment,” he said. “We look forward to seeing how their solutions perform in real-world conditions.”
Avinash Dubedi, Head of Sustainable Cities and Transport at WRI India, emphasized the inclusive potential of the proposed syste“The solutions go beyond congestion management—they aim to ensure dignified, safe, and accessible movement for all, including elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and first-time visitors.”
Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, noted the collaborative nature of the competition. “Varanasi is demonstrating how local challenges can inspire globally relevant innovations in urban mobility.”
The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and implemented in partnership with Challenge Works and WRI. In India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor is providing on-ground support for the initiative. Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, stated that the projects align with the company’s “Mobility for All” vision and could serve as models for other heritage cities facing similar mobility pressures.
The pilot phase will begin in the coming weeks, with results expected to inform future urban planning and crowd management strategies in Varanasi and potentially other high-density historic cities worldwide.