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
A juicy outcome for Maharashtra mango farmers
Mango farmers in Maharashtra are reaping the benefits of ultra high-density plantation, which ensures bigger yield on small parcels of land without compromising on the quality of fruit.
Kerala’s Kannadippaya bamboo mat and the quest for identity
Weaving a Kannadippaya is an exquisite, age-old skill possessed by elderly women in remote tribal settlements spread over the southern Western Ghats range in Kerala.
Billionaire overnight: Woman finds gold under village land
It’s not everyday that one finds gold under land, but the people of Poi village in Tamil Nadu did and it turned their lives into a dream.
Die cast for vanishing cowbells of Jharkhand
Blacksmiths practising the ancient art form of making cowbells are struggling to make ends meet as sales have dipped, with rural folks keeping fewer cattle now.
Bridal jewellery made with dried palm leaf?
Karthkeyan quit his job as design engineer and became a successful organic farmer with wife Neelaveni. The duo now makes eye-catching ornaments and showpieces from Palmyra leaf.
Immerse yourself in a sea of tulips this summer
Sitting pretty on a strip between Srinagar’s Dal Lake and the snow-capped Zabarwan mountains, Asia’s largest tulip garden is set to witness 1.6 million tulips blossom.
Arecanut goes from yucky paan stains to dandy dye
Much maligned for the paan stains, betelnut juice is now being used as a natural dye by artists and the textile industry, offering a good income source for areca nut farmers of Karnataka
‘Planting trees is not forest restoration’
To learn about India’s forests, their significance and their relationship with people, we spoke with Neha Singh, founder of Forrest India, a Pune-based organisation working on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem connectivity and climate change.
How ‘Canal Man’ channelled strength for Odisha village
Daitari Naik’s Talabaitarani village in Kendujhar district is no longer the parched land where people were forced to drink muddied water. The 3km canal he dug almost single-handedly ensures lush crops all year round.