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ABSTRACT The Arthashastra, an influential ancient Indian treatise on statecraft and economic policy, is attributed to Kautilya or Chanakya or Vishnugupta and composed during the rise of the Mauryan Empire. It presents a comprehensive framework for governance that situates economic prosperity (Artha) as the foundation of state power and stability. Kautilya's economic philosophy emphasises a strong and interventionist state as the driving force behind growth, security, and public welfare. His detailed prescriptions on public finance, agriculture, trade, and social security resonate with many principles embedded in modern economic systems. Notably, his vision of a welfare-oriented, developmental state prefigures contemporary notions of state-led development, inclusive growth, and strategic trade policy. At the same time, the text reveals a persistent tension between its autocratic, realpolitik-driven model of governance and the ideals of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism. Rather than a universal blueprint for development, the Arthashastra should be understood as a nuanced and pragmatic intellectual resource, whose enduring significance lies in its welfare-centric approach to statecraft and its ability to provide an alternative perspective to dominant Western economic thought. KEYWORDS: Artha, Yoga Kshema, Public Finance,Taxation, Industrial Policy