Guwahati City, the capital of Assam, is one of the fastest-growing cities in Northeast India, where the population is growing exponentially and unsystematically. The exponential growth and unplanned growth due to rapid urbanization have increased the depletion of natural resources and an imbalance in society and the environment. Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) is an initiative by the Government of India to make the city more livable, sustainable, and economically vibrant. The focus is on providing well-equipped amenities and inclusive development by applying smart technologies and solutions, considering the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. This paper mainly focuses on the ground survey—an ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews with officials of smart cities and the citizens to understand the challenges better while implementing any project, as well as the reasons for the delay of work and managing the project in the long run. This survey and thematic analysis will help the decision-makers to have a clear understanding of the gaps where they are behind and what they are missing while preparing, proposing, and implementing any projects for the citizens of the city. This research will assist them with the citizens’ views of the city and what they expect from them. The findings reveal a lack of coordination among the different stakeholders, resulting in delays in work, lack of citizen engagement, and less female participation, which are reasons for the failure of projects and the inability to deliver projects on time. In the end, this paper also tries to propose some potential solutions that are found to be necessary and missing while proposing any projects for the citizens and upliftment of the city.