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
Mango plantations are reviving livelihoods in Chhattisgarh
Once a conflict-ridden region, the Community Model Mango Plantation Initiative has empowered tribal farmers in Sukma, Chhattisgarh to embrace sustainable farming practices, diversify their incomes, and reconnect with their ancestral land.
Why natural farming stops Maha villagers migrating
Thanks to natural farming, the people of Kumbharwadi are embracing agriculture as a vocation, eschewing the tendency to migrate to cities for income.
Union Budget 2025: Agriculture key to development
Village Square breaks down the policies announced as a part of the Union Budget 2025 that are likely to impact rural India the most.
Faith in the long game of natural farming
Battling climate change and financial woes, a tribal farmer puts his faith in organic, natural farming methods – betting that enriching his soil will reap rewards in the long run.
Reviving traditional red gram in drought-prone Dewas, MP
When everyone around him was growing genetically modified Bt cotton, one Madhya Pradesh farmer saw red. Finding the negatives of GM crops outweighed the positives, the farmer from Dewas switched to red gram.
A better future takes seed in Andhra farmer’s hands
She employs time-tested methods of preserving organic seeds, enabling better crop yield in the bargain. Meet Sidhipalem Chinnammi of Andhra Pradesh’s Illayipuram village, who uses everything from bottle gourd to clay pots to keep her seeds fresh.
This youngster chose farming at 26
It is heartening to come across someone like Vikram Sagar, who has successfully made the leap from city life to full-time farming in native Coorg. Village Square chats with this young farmer who is transforming agriculture with innovative practices.
Cock a doodle do – how women are changing the pecking order in Banjhi Kusum
Livestock farming was once a dreaded livelihood idea in the small village of Banjhi Kusum. But when a handful of women were armed with the necessary skills and resources, they did not chicken out. Instead, they turned livestock farming into a sustainable enterprise.
How integrated farming saved the day for Andhra farmer
Madhusudan Rao and his wife Karamma, from the Soura community in Andhra Pradesh, fought challenges like illiteracy to embrace progressive farming techniques. Their success has inspired others from the region.