The idea of ICT4D, that technologies can be designed to encourage development of disadvantaged communities, is inherently tied to the contentious definition of“development.” Following Escobar (1995), this thesis aims to repurpose the idea of development to recognize, encourage and support local subjectivities, goals and practices among rural Indian youth who cannot attend school regularly and are thus isolated from peers. To provide opportunities for these youth to engage with peers intellectually and creatively from a distance, this thesis describes a system that uses the local technologies of community radio stations and SMS messaging to enable youth to collaboratively author song lyrics. The project’s design process was guided by the methodology of appropriate technology, and several user tests and questionnaires were conducted to evaluate the system. Overall, study participants expressed that Gītakāra is a platform where they can have fun and creatively collaborate, think and compose with their peers.