This volume contains some of the core foundational contributions on the broad theme of the political economy of India's development. The extant collections of readings on development economics usually contain readings from academic economists like Sen, Bhagwati, Bardhan, Dreze, Basu, etc.  The purpose of this collection is to point out to the lay reader that there is a world of writing on development that is outside the realms of academia.  Accordingly, we look at the contributions of figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, etc., who too had thought hard and deep about the process of India's development.