Rural India is home of the original gig-economy worker. Enterprising villagers hop from tilling fields to tending shops, to door-to-door selling each day. Read the latest trends in micro-enterprises, rural start-ups and the shifting livelihoods of India’s villagers.
Livelihoods
Planting palm trees to prevent lightning strike deaths
Odisha tops the list of states with the most number of deaths caused by lightning. Now an environmentalist is on a mission to revive the traditional practice of planting palm trees to counter the problem.
Nainital villagers use local oak to contain wildfires
Sustained efforts to plant native Himalayan oak trees bear fruit in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, which was once besieged by invasive pines that cause wildfires and climate change.
These kids are bringing back house sparrows to their village
The children of Kulathupalayam village in Tamil Nadu, which is situated near a bird sanctuary, are using shoeboxes to bring back house sparrows that had been missing for years due to urbanisation.
Copperware carves way for Kashmir women’s empowerment
Defying gender barriers, young women are training to be coppersmiths in Kashmir and working towards making their mark in a male-dominated craft sector to ensure social and financial empowerment.
MP village youth aims for Hollywood spotlight
Shibali Biswas, a 23-year-old filmmaker from rural Madhya Pradesh, defies the odds to showcase her vibrant tribal culture globally.
Students shape a future in terracotta pottery
Two college students start Mittihub, a platform selling terracotta pottery, to improve the livelihood of traditional potters, while offering fine products to customers across India and beyond.
Shielding trout from climate change in Kashmir
Fish farmers combat autumn dry spell with a groundwater harvesting technique that ensures a continuous, round-the-year flow of fresh, cold water vital for their trout.
Copperware losing sheen for Tamtas of Almora
Tamta bazaar of Almora in Uttarakhand, the once-thriving marketplace and a vibrant hub of coppersmiths, now stands in desolation as the artisans struggle to compete with machine-made products.
Bengal farmer on ‘mission mango’ to save the fruit
A passionate farmer is making all efforts to save the disappearing diversity of mangoes in Murshidabad, which once boasted of nearly 200 local varieties.