This book highlights variegated aspects of the economy of India, ancient and modern, in four chapters.

The first chapter looks into the adverse impact on the poor of diversification of agriculture, especially in North-East India, in order to meet the demands of the big farmers. Chapter two flights back to early Christian era, and looks into India's flourishing trade relations with South and South-East Asian countries during that period. Chapter three brings to the fore the ethics of the upper castes in ancient India which they considered as the logical ground of exploiting the lowest of the castes viz. the dalits (outcastes). Chapter four elaborates the problems and prospects of the public distribution system in India pertaining to ensuring food security, especially of the poor and weaker sections of the population.