Cities are pivotal to India’s growth and economic development. However, the rapid horizontal and vertical expansion in what many call the “messy and hidden” process of urbanisation compels scholars and policymakers to look for concrete solutions to the various problems brought about by urbanisation. This paper is the case of the city of Ranchi, the administrative capital of Jharkhand, one of the cities selected under the Government of India’s ‘Smart Cities Mission’ (SCM). The report provides an overview of Ranchi and evaluates the city vis-a-vis the vital dimensions of a ‘smart city’. It discusses the challenges in developing Ranchi into a smart city and the initiatives by the state government to make the city vibrant, viable, habitable, inclusive and sustainable. The study concludes with policy prescriptions that should facilitate Ranchi’s transformation into an inclusive and sustainable smart city.