Good governance in the 21st century is no longer defined merely by policies framed in government offices – it is reflected in how effortlessly citizens can access public services. Whether it is paying taxes, lodging grievances, applying for civic certificates, or tracking municipal services, citizens today expect governance to be transparent, responsive, and available at their fingertips.
Recognising this shift, the Government of India conferred the Silver Award at the 29th National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026 upon the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for its flagship PMC 360 – Integrated Digital Governance Ecosystem. The honour, presented in the ‘Initiatives in District/Urban Local Body Level e-Governance’ category, celebrates Pune’s remarkable journey in building one of India’s most comprehensive, AI-enabled, citizen-centric municipal governance platforms.
The award, presented during the National e-Governance Awards ceremony in Jaipur by Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr. Jitendra Singh and Rajasthan Information Technology Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, recognises how PMC has successfully integrated multiple digital services—including its official website, PMC Care mobile application, WhatsApp chatbot, AI-powered grievance management, GIS-enabled governance, digital public service delivery, and paperless administration—into one seamless ecosystem.
The award was received on behalf of Pune Municipal Corporation by Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair (IAS, 2017 batch), IT Department Head Rahul Jagtap, and Vandana Bhangare. The initiative was developed under the leadership of Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioners Pawneet Kaur, Prajit Nair, and Omprakash Divte, as part of PMC’s ambitious digital transformation programme.
Behind this national recognition lies years of planning, technological innovation, administrative reforms, and an unwavering commitment to making governance simpler, faster, and more transparent.
Speaking about the initiative, Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair shared how PMC 360 was envisioned not merely as another digital portal, but as a complete transformation of the relationship between citizens and the municipal administration.
“Our objective was never just to digitise existing services. We wanted to completely redesign the citizen’s experience with the municipal corporation. Every interaction had to become simpler, faster, transparent, and accessible through a single integrated platform,” says Ms Nair.
How the Journey Began
PMC’s digital transformation did not happen overnight.
The foundation was laid in 2018, when the Pune Municipal Corporation introduced the PMC CARE platform to improve citizen engagement through digital channels. While the platform proved successful, the administration realised that citizens were still required to navigate multiple portals, departments, and disconnected systems to access municipal services.
Over time, it became evident that Pune needed a unified governance ecosystem rather than isolated digital initiatives.
This vision eventually evolved into PMC 360—a platform designed to integrate every major municipal service into a single digital architecture.
“Citizens should not have to understand the internal structure of government departments just to avail a service. Technology should simplify governance, not make it more complicated,” explains Prajit Nair.
The Vision Behind PMC 360
The core philosophy behind PMC 360 was simple yet ambitious—to create a 360-degree digital bridge between citizens and the municipal corporation.
Instead of functioning through independent digital applications, every public-facing service would communicate through one integrated backend infrastructure.
The platform now brings together:
- Modernised PMC Website
- Integrated Online Citizen Service Portal
- PMC Care Mobile Application
- WhatsApp Chatbot
- AI-powered Grievance Management
- GIS-based Governance Systems
- Digital Payments
- eSign-enabled Services
- QR Code Verification
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal
- Integration with Maharashtra’s Aaple Sarkar platform
- Internal Paperless e-Office System
Together, these systems ensure that citizens can access civic services anytime through multiple digital channels while departments operate through one connected administrative framework.
Building a Truly Integrated Digital Governance Ecosystem
One of the biggest strengths of PMC 360 lies in its integration.
Instead of maintaining multiple standalone applications, PMC created a unified ecosystem where services are interconnected.
The modernised services.pmc.gov.in portal serves as the primary digital gateway for municipal services, while the PMC Care Suite provides mobile-first citizen engagement.
The platform is complemented by an automated WhatsApp chatbot, enabling citizens to access important civic services directly from their smartphones without needing to visit municipal offices.
Integration with Aaple Sarkar, the Government of Maharashtra’s citizen services platform, further ensures seamless delivery of government services through a common interface.
A Major Administrative Transformation
While citizens experienced visible improvements on the front end, perhaps the biggest transformation happened within the administration itself.
In June 2025, Pune Municipal Corporation transitioned its internal functioning to a completely paperless e-Office system.
More than 2,500 municipal officers and employees shifted to digital file movement, significantly reducing paperwork, improving transparency, and accelerating administrative decision-making.
This internal transformation became the backbone that enabled faster citizen service delivery.
The October 2025 Milestone
A defining milestone came in October 2025, when Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram officially launched the upgraded services.pmc.gov.in portal under the broader PMC 360 umbrella.
The new platform introduced:
- Electronic Signatures (eSign)
- UPI-enabled Digital Payments
- WhatsApp-based Service Delivery
- QR Code Verification
- Simplified Online Applications
- Unified Citizen Dashboard
These upgrades significantly reduced physical paperwork and brought multiple services under one digital platform.
Artificial Intelligence at the Heart of Governance
PMC 360 distinguishes itself by embedding Artificial Intelligence into everyday municipal governance.
Its AI-powered grievance management dashboard automatically receives, classifies, logs, and routes complaints to the appropriate departments without manual intervention.
Dedicated teams across 15 ward offices continuously monitor complaint resolution through weekly performance reviews.
This intelligent automation has dramatically improved response time while ensuring accountability across departments.
“Artificial Intelligence allows us to focus on faster problem-solving rather than manual processing. Technology becomes meaningful only when it improves people’s everyday experiences,” says Ms Nair.
Using GIS to Improve Urban Management
Beyond grievance management, PMC has leveraged Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to strengthen municipal planning and governance.
GIS technology is now used for:
- Infrastructure planning
- Mapping civic assets
- Tracking municipal properties
- Identifying illegal constructions
- Detecting unassessed properties
- Strengthening property tax administration
PMC also introduced the Advanced Estate Management and Monitoring System (EMAMS) to digitally record GPS locations, lease information, and encroachment status of municipal properties.
The integration of GIS and AI has significantly improved planning accuracy while strengthening revenue generation.
Citizen Services Made Faster and Simpler
PMC 360 has transformed how citizens interact with the municipal corporation.
The platform now offers 89 fully digitised civic services, designed in compliance with the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015.
Key digital features include:
- Online applications
- Electronic signatures
- Secure QR-code verification
- Online payments
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- WhatsApp service delivery
- Multilingual interfaces
- Digital certificates
Citizens can now complete most municipal processes without repeated visits to civic offices.
Multiple Channels, One Citizen Experience
PMC recognised that every citizen interacts with technology differently.
Accordingly, PMC 360 offers multiple digital entry points, including:
- Official PMC Website
- Mobile-friendly Portal
- PMC Care Mobile App
- WhatsApp Chatbot
- Social Media Platforms
- Online Service Portal
- Aaple Sarkar Integration
- Digital Payment Gateway
Altogether, the ecosystem provides 10 digital channels for citizens to access municipal services and grievance redressal.
Technology Backed by Strong Digital Infrastructure
Behind the seamless digital experience lies a robust technological foundation.
PMC established a dedicated data centre, enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, and digitised municipal records to ensure secure and efficient governance.
The system also successfully digitised records related to the 23 newly merged villages, enabling smoother integration into the municipal administration.
The Impact: Numbers That Reflect Transformation
PMC 360 has delivered measurable improvements across multiple areas of governance.
Today:
- The central portal records over 67 lakh annual visitors.
- More than 2.25 lakh public services are delivered digitally every year within legally mandated timelines.
- Over 1.15 lakh citizen grievances are resolved annually through streamlined digital systems.
- More than 2,500 municipal officials now work within a completely paperless administrative ecosystem.
- Pune secured 1st position in the City e-Governance Index.
- PMC ranked 2nd in Maharashtra under the state’s 150-Day e-Governance Improvement Programme, securing an impressive 186.25 out of 200.
These figures demonstrate not only technological advancement but also improved efficiency, transparency, and citizen satisfaction.
Recognition at National and International Levels
PMC’s digital governance journey has earned recognition far beyond the city.
The flagship PMC 360 initiative received the Silver Award at the 29th National Awards for e-Governance 2026, presented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India.
The project was selected after detailed evaluation and presentation before a national expert committee in New Delhi.
The recognition included a trophy and a ₹5 lakh financial incentive for further scaling of the initiative.
Earlier, the underlying PMC Care platform had already achieved global recognition by winning First Prize at the IEEE International Smart Cities Award 2024 in Thailand, highlighting Pune’s innovation on the international stage.
Further recognising these efforts, Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram was felicitated during the Second Service Rights Day Ceremony held at the Sahyadri State Guest House, Mumbai, in April this year.
The honour was presented by Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal in recognition of PMC’s innovative implementation of the Maharashtra State Right to Public Service Act, 2015, through digital technologies.
National Recognition for Citizen-Centric Governance
According to the Pune Municipal Corporation, the award reflects the administration’s commitment to building a transparent, technology-driven, and citizen-first governance model.
The civic administration noted that PMC 360 has simplified municipal services, strengthened digital governance, and created a more accessible ecosystem for the people of Pune.
The project’s success also demonstrates how digital transformation, when combined with administrative reforms and strong leadership, can significantly improve urban governance.
“Digital governance is ultimately about trust. When citizens receive services quickly, transparently, and without unnecessary hurdles, confidence in public institutions grows stronger. That has been our guiding principle throughout this journey,” says Prajit Nair.
The Road Ahead
PMC views the Silver Award not as the culmination of its efforts but as a milestone in an ongoing journey.
The administration aims to further strengthen artificial intelligence, expand predictive governance, improve digital inclusion, and continue integrating emerging technologies into civic administration.
As Indian cities continue embracing digital transformation, PMC 360 offers a replicable model demonstrating how technology, administrative vision, and citizen-centric governance can work together to create smarter, more responsive urban administrations.
The story of PMC 360 is not merely about digitising municipal services – it is about reimagining governance itself. By integrating technology with transparency and placing citizens at the centre of every reform, Pune Municipal Corporation has shown that meaningful digital transformation is measured not by the sophistication of software, but by the ease with which every citizen experiences government. The Silver Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026 stands as a testament to that vision and reinforces Pune’s position as one of India’s leading cities in technology-enabled public service delivery.
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