Abstract: Over the last few decades, the world has witnessed a renewed emphasis on the question of indigenous people and their rights. 1993 was declared as the International Year for the World’s Indigenous people. The decade from 1995-2004 was declared as the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, 2004-2014 has also been declared as the 2nd International Decade of the World’s Indigenous people. There have been changes in the social, economic and cultural structures of the world which motivates stakeholders to re-examine, reformulate and reconstitute the indigenous rights discourse. However, seen through the analytical lenses the state located within the broader setting of international organisations,the state  the non-state actors and the indigenous groups invoke varied debates at both the domestic and international level. These debates contribute in constituting different ideas of indigenous rights, thereby challenging the homogenised discourse and making it clear that it has its critical aspects as well. Consequently, within a constantly changing world view, the indigenous rights discourse seeks an extensive analysis of the nature, the location of content, the systems of rights articulation, enforcement and implementation. The state has for long been the most crucial player in international politics. This paper will analyse into the role played by each of these actors in constituting the rights of indigenous people. It will look at the interests that guide such an engagement. It is assumed that the main motivation behind the constitution of indigenous rights discourse by different stakeholders is guided by an attitude of sympathy against the years of subjugation imposed on indigenous groups. The paper challenges this idea, on grounds that the increasing focus on indigenous rights gives an impetus to the logic of power and interest, that influence stakeholders to look at the indigenous rights from varying prisms. The paper also seeks to make a dyadic comparison between the indigenous groups in developed and developing countries and explore the ways in which the rights of indigenous groups get defined.