Informal settlements like those in the Yerwada area of Pune, a fast-growing city in western India, are critical sites for pursuing equitable resilience. Beginning in the late 2000s, city leaders and civil society organizations undertook ambitious projects to upgrade thousands of self-built homes in Yerwada. The projects demonstrate an alternative to the dominant model of “slum clearance” and relocation. Interventions led by two civil society teams, MASHAL and SPARC / Mahila Milan, used innovative governance and design strategies to ensure that upgrading reflected the needs of residents. While the projects supported resident livelihoods through several mechanisms, the house-by-house in-situ upgrading process made it difficult to address larger problems with public space and infrastructure. This case study draws on site visits, analysis of existing studies and project materials, and interviews with project participants, administrators, observers, and critics.