Background: Conventional approaches to sustainable development have been criticized for their technocratic orientation and limited engagement with the knowledge systems embedded in culture. The orientation toward relational well-being, ecological care, and ethical coexistence with nature is the foundation of indigenous epistemologies developed through long-term relationships with the environment. North India alone has thousands of communities with a rich culture of indigenous knowledge that has traditionally underpinned sustainable resource management, but is now marginalized by modern development and conservation policies. The Bhil, Gaddi, Bhotia, and Van Gujjar are only some of them. Objective of the study: To analyze the interrelationship and connection between indigenous epistemology and the concept of sustainable development. Method: The research will be conducted as a meta-analytical study grounded in anthropological and development research. It is based on secondary literature (e.g., ethnographic case studies and policy literature). It uses a comparative framework to examine indigenous knowledge practices, their interactions with formal development projects, and the institutional and ethical contexts that shape these interactions. Findings: The findings indicate that knowledge can be mixed in different ways, including integration, parallel use, adaptation, and co-management. Although these processes lead to synergies, e.g., improved healthcare, enhanced conservation, and community-based governance of ecosystems, they also expose tensions arising from power asymmetries, limited policies, and the loss of intergenerational knowledge. This paper concludes that context-specific, rights-based, and participatory approaches play a pivotal role in achieving culturally grounded, environmentally friendly, sustainable development.