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
Kashmir’s purple revolution with lavender cultivation
Prized for its oil, lavender blooms are being farmed on parcels considered wastelands before and these have cast a spell of hope, a promise of prosperity entwined with fragrance.
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Pickled cashews & more at this women-run factory in Goa
From pickled to smoked cashews and more, this cashew factory with mostly women employees offers flavourful treats and a heartwarming story.
Why Kerala needs revival of Kaipad rice
Traditional salt-tolerant rice varieties grown in coastal Kaipad lands are set on a revival course. But farmers need more support to produce the nutrient-rich organic crop.
Lemongrass spreads scent of success in Odisha’s tribal land
The lemongrass fields sway with the promises of a brighter future for the tribal farmers of Odisha’s Keonjhar, offering a sustainable pathway to economic growth in the region.
Tea garden workers face bitter home truth in Bengal
Beneficiaries of West Bengal government’s Chaa Sundari housing scheme express dissatisfaction, citing inadequate facilities and infrastructure that have dampened their dreams of owning their own houses.
Tuskers trample Bengal village’s jackfruits of labour
As north Bengal struggles to coexist with elephants, the fate of Nepali Basti’s once-thriving jackfruit trade hangs in the balance as farmers incur losses due to the onslaught from the tuskers and abandon cultivation.
Bengal farmers bear brunt of Assam poultry ban
Aftershocks of Assam’s bird flu-related ban continue to rattle the poultry industry in Bengal even after the withdrawal of curbs, resulting in severe losses for farmers.
Panchkroshi – Maharashtra farmers harness the power of five
Maharashtra farmers are reviving the traditional concept of Panchkroshi, wherein five neighbouring villages come together, to boost sustainability in their drought-hit region.