The essays by Prof. Atul Kohli, a well-known political scientist, study the evolution and interaction of democracy and development in India from the early 1980s to the present times. Penned over more than two decades, the essays show that an India dedicated to socialism has gradually taken to a pro-business approach. They explain the nature of political change that reveals a firmly rooted democracy but one that is poor in terms of quality of governance. They discuss the alliance between state and capital which is strengthening and promoting growth but also increasing inequalities in society. They also probe the reason for the divergent developmental patterns in the states of India.