India, Jan. 26 -- For once, Pune's roads became a talking point for the right reasons. Not potholes, not diversions, not angry social media posts, but genuine surprise. Ahead of the cycling race, around 450 km of roads were rebuilt across the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits, as well as stretches handled by the district administration through the Public Works Department. Of these, about 75 km lay within PMC. The figure may not sound extraordinary on paper, but on the ground, it felt different.

People noticed it immediately. Not just the smooth blacktop, but the details, especially the drainage chambers, refixed properly, flush with the road surface. For many residents, this was unf...