Srinagar, June 1 -- Just before sunset, the Jhelum river in Srinagar looks almost still. Its banks, once strewn with broken tiles and dust, now carry a new calm.

The walkway is clean. Lights glow gently as the sun dips. A few college students lean against the railings. A couple walks slowly past tidy benches. It didn't always look like this.

This is the new Srinagar. Or at least, a version of it.

The city, along with Jammu, has been part of India's Smart Cities Mission since 2017. Eight years later, the results are beginning to show. Roads have improved. Digital screens have come up. Street corners that once drowned in garbage now have solar bins. The changes aren't sweeping, but they're steady.

Polo View Market in central Srinagar, o...