Reflecting changes in policy theorisation, development policies of the Indian state evince a move from deterministic, linear conceptualisations to more process-oriented ones. However, is the move away from targets and tangible results, and a realisation of the importance of the policy process, confined to paper? The issue is investigated through a textual and field-level exploration of one of India's flagship rural development programmes, the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana