The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in India (MoHUA) launched the DataSmart Cities strategy to empower urban areas through strategic data use. The initiative aims to transform urban management with digital technologies by making cities 'DataSmart,' improving governance, enhancing service delivery, and stimulating innovation and civic engagement through effective data utilization in cities across India. Part of this strategy includes the India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX), an open-source platform that facilitates  data exchange across city stakeholders. Additionally, MoHUA developed the Data Maturity Assessment Framework to help cities assess their readiness and capability to utilize data effectively. DataSmart Cities is a comprehensive strategy involving the creation of institutional structures, processes like policy formulation and data standards, and the implementation of technology platforms like IUDX and an Open Data Portal to support data-driven decision-making.