ROLE OF DIGITAL GOVERNANCE IN INDIA'S SMART CITY MISSION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
This exploratory research study examines the transformative trajectory of digital governance frameworks within India's Smart City Mission (SCM), elucidating the multifaceted challenges and latent opportunities inherent in technology-mediated urban administration. Drawing upon secondary data from fifteen acknowledged scholarly publications, this study employs a systematic literature synthesis methodology to comprehend the nexus between e-governance frameworks and sustainable urban development paradigms. The study reveals that while digital governance initiatives have catalyzed citizen-centric service delivery, participatory decisionmaking mechanisms, and resource optimization strategies, formidable impediments persist in the domains of digital infrastructure deficiencies, inter-agency coordination lacunae, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and socio-digital divides. The findings underscore the imperative for comprehensive policy recalibration, technological capacity augmentation, and inclusive stakeholder engagement to actualize the transformative potential of digital governance in Indian urban landscape. This pivotal study contributes to the burgeoning discourse on technoadministrative convergence and proffers pragmatic recommendations for ameliorating implementation efficacy within smart city ecosystems.