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
Tribal women seize opportunities, turn micro entrepreneurs
With the right support, women in Khunti have overcome challenges and emerged as entrepreneurs. Each woman’s micro business has been her family’s financial mainstay during the pandemic
Kashmir’s cherry farmers face the impact of pandemic
Tangmarg’s cherry farmers, who find selling directly to tourists more lucrative, are in a fix as the popular tourist spots have been closed because of the pandemic
Forest-dependent tribes lose income to forest fires
Unable to collect mahua flowers and other forest produce because of fires in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, tribal communities already impacted by the pandemic have lost their livelihood
Community seed banks help conserve climate-resilient crops
Combining community knowledge and scientific ways, farmers conserve stress-tolerant landraces in their fields, and distribute the seeds to other farmers through community seed banks
Empowered women dairy farmers create ripple effect
With the development of dairy cooperatives, some exclusively for women, dairy farming which supplemented agricultural income has led to full-fledged businesses and successful women micro-entrepreneurs
Why villagers are against a proposed marina
Government proposes to develop a marina of international standards to promote tourism. Residents of coastal villages oppose it, fearing an impact on their livelihood and the ecology
Lack of local livelihoods forces men to migrate far
With no industrial jobs, and low wages in agriculture, men from Bhagabanpur in Maldah district migrate to faraway places like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, to make a living
Constraints that prevent farmers from becoming prosperous
Land holding size, water availability, funds and markets impact farmers’ incomes. This second piece of a four-part series explores constraints and viability of mixed farming for farm prosperity
COVID-19 assistance helps villagers find a footing
Odisha Livelihood Mission’s financial support has enabled many vulnerable rural families, especially women entrepreneurs, to recover from the economic shock of the pandemic-induced lockdown