Synopsis Rural Development is a matter of interest for the academics, development professionals, administrators, non-governmental organizations and also donors. In India, considerable efforts have been made in the form of various strategies and through programmes for the sustainable rural development. The experiments in this field also include, a shift in the focus, approach, design of intervention and organizational framework to initiate and sustain the development and welfare activities for rural communities. During five development decades, we have experimented and also gained experience in the field or rural development that has enlightened us to dream, design and development our rural communities on sustainable process. In this process, people are enabled to have access and effective participation in development as well in welfare activities. Both governmental and non-governmental efforts are aiming at the people and area to initiate a self-sustained and people-centred development. We have attempted to document experiments made in development process through that gained rich experience in the process of initiating and managing sustainable rural development and its positive consequences on the people’s life in the rural communities.