This book has grown out of many years of learning while I was with the Planning Commission of India, first heading two divisions (Rural Development and then Development Policy) and then as the head of the only research institute of the Commission (2006–14). In the early 1990s, I had joined the United Nations system, after having left an academic position in JNU, New Delhi. In the UN role I had had the opportunity of advising governments from across the developing world, but had never actually worked for the government. The opportunity of joining the government came at a time when India's GDP was growing at an unprecedentedly high rate. It was an extremely exciting time to be in government, as I was quite often at the cutting edge of policy design and policy advice. India has remained, along with many other major Asian economies, a country that has prepared five year plans almost continuously since Independence. Both China and India are currently into their 12th Five Year Plan. I had the good fortune of contributing to the process of preparation of the 11th as well as 12th Five Year Plans, apart from working with central line ministries as well as state governments. It was a profoundly important learning experience, and many of the lessons from that wide and rich experience are reflected in the chapters of this book.

India is at an extremely critical juncture in its development – the demographic dividend – a period when the share of the working age population in the total population rises, which is known to have many benefits flow to its people provided government policies are such as to exploit this once in a life time opportunity in a nation's history. Before the dividend begins the nation is burdened with a high dependency ratio, with a large and growing share of the population below the working age of 15. Once the dividend period has passed, the share of the elderly population rises who are no more working, and hence have to be provided for (in terms of pensions and health benefits). The dividend, lying in between these two periods, is characterised by a low dependency ratio and a high share of the working age population.