Slums dwellers provide services to thriving cities at low wages yet live in suboptimal conditions. Municipal corporations in most LMIC cities are unable to extend services to slums. Slum dwellers lack negotiation skills to demand better services. The research focuses on understanding impacts of suboptimal living conditions on health and wellbeing of slum dwellers and actions pursued by slum women in partnership with an NGO, Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC), India on improving living conditions in slums through active negotiation with civic authorities in Indore, India. FGDs with slum dwellers were conducted in 17 slum lanes where slum dwellers recounted their challenges of living in poor conditions and the efforts slum women made with UHRC to “pull” municipal services in slum lanes. Among 17 slum lanes, 10 slum lanes saw success while response is awaited in 7 slum lanes. The research delves into factors contributing to success and delays in the response from authorities. The action research holds potential lessons for practitioners facilitating slum upgrading efforts in the cities of Global South and the importance harnessing “demand” side of policy implementation to realize SDG 8 11 envisioning “Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.