This paper analyses the institutional framework and setting within which evidence has become linked to policy in India, and the role that multidisciplinary researchers play in the policy process. It draws on a number of empirical studies exploring sustainable and equitable development in India to illustrate the two-way relationship between researchers and policy-makers, and to demonstrate the value in policy-oriented research of combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The author assesses the potential impact and effectiveness of evidence-based policy-making within the institutionalised strategic planning framework of the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog. She considers whether the lessons learnt from one region could be transposed to other regions within India and elsewhere, and discusses how and why policies and forms of delivery may require adaptation if they are to be implemented in different socio-economic, political and cultural contexts.