The India’s Union Ministry of Power launches a pilot project to upgrade traditional streetlights into energy-saving LED streetlights as part of the effort to turn New Delhi into a smart city, according to a report of Indian media Niti Central.

The pilot project is expected to save around 250 million units of electricity consumption or Rs 7 billion (US $110.69 million) for the country’s capital. Currently there are 500, 000 streetlight points in the 22 million populated city.

The project is scheduled to launch in phases with North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) chosen as starting area and would soon be extended to South Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation, New Delhi Municipal Council and the Cantonment Board,  for the Delhi Cantonment area.

"It would be further extended to the whole of country and especially in the areas where there is no light and where the  poor are living," Union Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goel said.

The whole project expenditure is paid by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a jointed venture company of the PSUs under the Ministry of Power. NDMC do not have to pay even a penny.

LED streetlights upgrade is one of the country’s effort to develop the capital into a smart city. " Smart city should have 24×7 electricity, water, transport, education, solid waste  management and sanitation like services,” said Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.