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Smart City Expo Barcelona: Indian pavilion flagged off
BARCELONA, SPAIN: The Indian pavilion at Smart City Expo 2024 in Barcelona’s famed Fira de Barcelona Gran Via got off to a great start with the Indian ambassador to Spain Dinesh K Patanaik, Indian Consulate counsel general Inbasekar Sundaramurthi and ministry of housing and urban affairs (Mohua) joint secretary Rahul Kapoor flagging it off.
The pavilion has been put up by Mohua which has brought in a large delegation of principal secretaries (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh), commissioners, smart city CEOs and deputy CEOs, of various Indian cities to expose them to the rapid developments that are taking place in the growth of smart cities in Europe and various parts of the globe.
“We have made great progress as far as our selected 100 smart cities are concerned,” said Kapoor at the opening of the pavilion. “Almost Rs 1.7 lakh crore worth 7,800 plus projects. We have completed 7252 of them or 90 per cent worth Rs 1,45,882 crore and another 790 are ongoing worth Rs 18,875 crore. We are very happy with the outcomes.”
The Indian officials were seen going around the various exhibition booths from all over the world showcasing technologies for e-bikes, charging, data analytics, ride sharing, smart city consulting among many others.
The Smart City Expo 2024 ends on 7 November.
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Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
