Purpose – The purpose of this seminal paper is to present the concept of sustainability in its purest form as conceived by Kautilya and bring out its relevance to the current issues and the areas of concern in the global perspectives. Design/methodology/approach – This paper goes with the premise that the concept of sustainable development (SD) as enunciated by the western theorists has not been fitted in an integrated framework. An attempt is made in this study, to bring to light an unwritten model of SD of Kautilya, which is universal in approach and relevant to many of the current issues of today. Findings – The Kautilya's model of SD is an assimilation of idealistic and realistic views of human life. The quintessence of this model is that SD can be realized only if each one in a society lives for the other and all collectively for the welfare of the mankind. Research limitations/implications – The success of this model depends on the level of understanding, design of socio-economic and political institutions required, the goals and the means set for oneself and society and the degree of accountability exhibited in implementing the model. Practical implications – This model can be tailored to suit the requirements of modern society in the short run as well as in the long run. Originality/value – This paper is original in nature because a modern concept like SD is analytically linked to the development-design of Kautilya with a view to infusing profundity, realism and applicability to it.
