diff --git a/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/InitCommand.java b/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/InitCommand.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..397092b1c78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/InitCommand.java
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License").
+ * You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * A copy of the License is located at
+ *
+ *  http://aws.amazon.com/apache2.0
+ *
+ * or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is distributed
+ * on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either
+ * express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing
+ * permissions and limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package software.amazon.smithy.cli.commands;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
+import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
+import software.amazon.smithy.cli.ArgumentReceiver;
+import software.amazon.smithy.cli.Arguments;
+import software.amazon.smithy.cli.Command;
+import software.amazon.smithy.cli.HelpPrinter;
+import software.amazon.smithy.model.node.Node;
+import software.amazon.smithy.utils.IoUtils;
+
+public class InitCommand implements Command {
+    private static final String TEMP_DIRECTORY = ".temp";
+    private static final String SMITHY_TEMPLATE_JSON = "smithy-templates.json";
+
+    private final String parentCommandName;
+
+    public InitCommand(String parentCommandName) {
+        this.parentCommandName = parentCommandName;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getName() {
+        return "init";
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getSummary() {
+        return "Initialize a smithy project by template";
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int execute(Arguments arguments, Env env) {
+        arguments.addReceiver(new Options());
+        CommandAction action = HelpActionWrapper.fromCommand(this, parentCommandName, this::run);
+        return action.apply(arguments, env);
+    }
+
+    private int run(Arguments arguments, Env env) {
+        Options options = arguments.getReceiver(Options.class);
+        try {
+            this.cloneTemplate(options.repositoryUrl, options.template, options.directory);
+        } catch (IOException | InterruptedException | URISyntaxException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        }
+
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    private void cloneTemplate(String repositoryUrl, String templateName, String directory)
+            throws IOException, InterruptedException, URISyntaxException {
+
+        if (templateName == null || templateName.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Please specify template via `--template` argument");
+        }
+
+        // Use templateName if directory is not specified
+        if (directory == null) {
+            directory = templateName;
+        }
+
+        // Clone the repository without downloading files
+        new ProcessBuilder(
+            "git", "clone", "--filter=blob:none", "--no-checkout",
+                "--depth", "1", "--sparse", repositoryUrl, TEMP_DIRECTORY)
+                .inheritIO().start().waitFor();
+
+        // Download template json file
+        new ProcessBuilder("git", "sparse-checkout", "set", "--no-cone", SMITHY_TEMPLATE_JSON)
+                .directory(new File(TEMP_DIRECTORY))
+                .start().waitFor();
+
+        new ProcessBuilder("git", "checkout")
+                .directory(new File(TEMP_DIRECTORY))
+                .start().waitFor();
+
+        String templatePath = readJsonFileAsNode(Paths.get(TEMP_DIRECTORY, SMITHY_TEMPLATE_JSON))
+                .expectObjectNode()
+                .expectObjectMember("templates")
+                .expectObjectMember(templateName)
+                .getStringMember("path").get().getValue();
+
+        // Specify the subdirectory to download
+        new ProcessBuilder("git", "sparse-checkout", "set", "--no-cone", templatePath)
+                .directory(new File(TEMP_DIRECTORY))
+                .start().waitFor();
+
+        new ProcessBuilder("git", "checkout")
+                .directory(new File(TEMP_DIRECTORY))
+                .start().waitFor();
+
+        Files.move(
+            Paths.get(TEMP_DIRECTORY, templatePath),
+            Paths.get(directory),
+            StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+
+        deleteDirectory(new File(TEMP_DIRECTORY));
+    }
+
+    private Node readJsonFileAsNode(Path jsonFilePath) throws IOException {
+        return Node.parse(IoUtils.toUtf8String(Files.newInputStream(jsonFilePath)));
+    }
+
+    private boolean deleteDirectory(File directoryToBeDeleted) {
+        File[] allContents = directoryToBeDeleted.listFiles();
+        if (allContents != null) {
+            for (File file : allContents) {
+                deleteDirectory(file);
+            }
+        }
+        return directoryToBeDeleted.delete();
+    }
+
+    private static final class Options implements ArgumentReceiver {
+        private String template;
+
+        private String directory;
+
+        private String repositoryUrl = "https://github.com/smithy-lang/smithy-examples.git";
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean testOption(String name) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Consumer<String> testParameter(String name) {
+            switch (name) {
+                case "--template":
+                case "-t":
+                    return value -> template = value;
+                case "--url":
+                    return value -> repositoryUrl = value;
+                case "--directory":
+                case "-d":
+                    return value -> directory = value;
+                default:
+                    return value -> {
+                    };
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void registerHelp(HelpPrinter printer) {
+            printer.param("--template", "-t", "quickstart-cli",
+                    "Specify the template to be used in the Smithy project");
+            printer.param("--url", null,
+                    "https://github.com/smithy-lang/smithy-examples.git",
+                    "Smithy templates repository url");
+            printer.param("--directory", "-d", "new-smithy-project",
+                    "Smithy project directory");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/SmithyCommand.java b/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/SmithyCommand.java
index 167615aa1e4..c8854d73fcb 100644
--- a/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/SmithyCommand.java
+++ b/smithy-cli/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/cli/commands/SmithyCommand.java
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ public SmithyCommand(DependencyResolver.Factory dependencyResolverFactory) {
             new CleanCommand(getName()),
             migrateCommand,
             deprecated1To2Command,
-            new WarmupCommand(getName())
+            new WarmupCommand(getName()),
+            new InitCommand(getName())
         );
     }