Cities have historically been the engines of economic development and generators of the wealth of nations. They are the reservoirs of skill and capital. They are hubs of agglomeration economies arising out of the constellation of people, firms, and institutions. As centers for growing tertiary sector employment opportunities, they hold hopes for millions of poor searching for livelihoods. Cities are also the centers of education, culture, and innovation as well as generators of public financial resources. Cities, however, have been subject to the negative consequences of urbanization and are becoming homes to scores of urban poor seeking shelter in slums and squatter settlements. In this regard, the Government’s initiative for Smart Cities is path-breaking. A programme for Slum-free India through the instrument of Smart City has been announced by the Government, aimed at providing support to states that are willing to develop slum-free cities by reconstructing the slums and assigning property rights to slum-dwellers. The formulation and implementation of such a nationally important program need the development of a long-term vision and mission along with a good database on slums, urban poverty, and related aspects (Kanaskar, et. al 2013).