India, Feb. 14 -- Dusty roads to high-speed underpasses. Financial distress to sudden realty boom. An underdeveloped township to a major corporate and urban hub.

These transformations encapsulate the journey of 42-year-oldManish Shandilya, who moved to Gurugram from Delhi in 2004, well before its transformation into an urban sprawl. He currently resides in Sushant Lok-2, becoming a witness to the Millennium City's many success stories, as well as failures.

"When I first came here, there were green open spaces, very little traffic and far less pollution than Delhi. The city felt quiet and peaceful. But the calm came with serious gaps - broken roads, dust, weak drainage, poor transport and almost no civic infrastructure. It was a town try...