India has a large number of teachers and needs many more. All processes of teacher recruitment, training, motivation, incentives, retention and feedback therefore have to be planned on a large scale. Further the ultimate goal of in-service teacher development should be to ensure that optimal learning takes place in the classrooms. The current physical and intellectual state of India’s teacher education programme holds out no promise of discernible improvement in the near future. Teacher development should look at variable strategies to address the diverse needs of elementary teachers. Short training courses, mentoring, on site academic support to teachers, practice classroom teaching under a master teacher, distance learning and peer learning are some possibilities.