India, Dec. 23 -- In impenetrable rooms in the centre of New Delhi, policies are calibrated to accelerate development for all of India, from coastal regions to the mountains, for rural communities and the urban poor. When we say policy flows top-down, we can appreciate the very top and have a basic understanding of the very bottom. But what about the numerous levels in between, differentiated by only degrees of positionality? What about the vast horizontal scope for impact, and consequently, sustainable change?

India's economic growth is as fast as it is unequal. It's hard to visualise the depth or extent of this inequality beyond catchy statistics and pithy headlines. Development professionals face an uphill task: To work for the benefi...