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

Women contribute grains to support vulnerable families during lockdown
With no labor work during lockdown, many women in remote villages lacked essentials to feed their family. Fellow women helped them by building a food bank with contributions

Resourceful producer companies address farmers’ lockdown challenges
As members struggled to buy farm inputs and sell produce, their FPCs, with special permission, arranged for inputs and sold their produce directly to consumers

India Post delivers litchis in Bihar during lockdown
Postal department and horticulture directorate join hands to deliver litchi directly at consumers’ doorstep, helping farmers sell the fruits and get better price during lockdown

Making sal leaf plates lifts women out of poverty
With increased awareness about ecofriendly products, women in West Bengal make plates and bowls made of sal leaves, earning an increased and sustained income

MGNREGS curbs distress migration, provides employment during lockdown
With agriculture turning unsustainable, villagers migrated to nearby towns for work. Community planning leading to sanctioned MGNREGS works has ensured local livelihood and has stemmed migration

Women bring economic and environmental changes with leaf plates
By making biodegradable tableware from areca leaves that used to be burnt, rural women in Assam help minimize air and plastic pollution, while increasing their household income

Lacking access to bamboo, Basor artisans struggle for livelihood
Coordinated efforts are needed to make raw material available for the Basor community, to help sustain their traditional bamboo weaving skills and forest-based livelihood

Dongria Kondhs struggle to sell forest produce during lockdown
As the peak harvest season of minor forest produce coincides with the lockdown period, the tribes of Niyamgiri Hills struggle to sustain their forest-based livelihood

Scientist ropes in coastal communities for marine conservation
Creating awareness about mangrove and seagrass ecosystems among coastal communities, and facilitating additional income for them, a marine scientist involves them in conservation