This extracts light on the evolving social and economic dynamics within Palanpur. The discussion of mechanization reveals that investment decisions are not driven only by productivity gains. Tractors function not only as agricultural tools but also as prestige goods, embodying social status andupward mobility. Their use for freight and passenger transport further illustrates how local actors creatively adapt private assets to compensate for insufficient formal infrastructure. In this sense, economic change is deeply embedded in social meanings and institutional constraints. At the same time, these developments raise broader questions about the future of caste and hierarchy in a context of gradual industrialization and market expansion. As access to alternative income sources, improved markets, and new technologies expands, traditional caste-based occupational boundaries may weaken, offering greater opportunities for mobility. Yet sociocultural norms often are resilient and adapting. Economic growth may transform the material foundations of caste distinctions without fully erasing their symbolic and social power. The key issue, then, is whether sustained structural transformation will ultimately render caste hierarchies economically irrelevant, or whether they will persist in reshaped forms within an increasingly diversified rural economy.