India has been home to world’s earliest civilisations as well as some of the most prominent ancient cities. Urbanisation in India is of peculiar nature and has been of immense interest to urban practitioners. Tracing back their roots to few centuries or more, Indian cities face unique challenges including sustaining fast paced development while retaining the cultural essence, modernising the urban infrastructure while retaining the centuries’ old identity, develop in a sustainable manner and be resilient to bear future shocks. These challenges necessitate careful planning both in economic as well as spatial terms. This study reviews the post-independence policies of urban India with respect to focus on urban development, economic advancement, and resilient growth. The study highlights the interconnectedness (or the lack there-of) of channelizing economic growth while managing the sprawl and designing/ creating urban systems which are resilient.