India, Dec. 29 -- In the soft morning light, Delhi's roads stretch like dark ribbons of promise until a sudden jolt breaks the illusion. A two-wheeler stumbles, its rider thrown off rhythm; a sedan slows to a crawl, tyres dipping into a crater with a crunching thud; a cyclist swerves, cursing under his breath as he regains balance. In these small moments, Delhi's grand architecture of mobility collapses into something far more primal: survival.

For all its flyovers and sweeping expressways, its skyline of glass towers and its larger claim to modernity, Delhi has learnt to live with the interruptions that punctuate every journey. The pothole has become Delhi's most unyielding companion, surviving every season, every government and every g...