This paper presents a critical analysis of the age-old issue of rural poverty of India in the backdrop of high economic growth. This has been the result of the limitations of the trickle-down theory as well as the limitations in the rural credit system. The study discusses the income and purchasing power of rural individuals, the barriers to their institutional credit, and the dominance of informal moneylenders. The study promotes a holistic approach to rural development beyond credit-based interventions, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure development, skill development, value education, and the convergence of modern economic thinking with ancient moral economics. The study also explores new paradigms for financial institutions at the village level and proposes policy interventions to ensure inclusive and sustainable rural development in India, finally resulting in village autonomy and self-reliance.