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
How pearl farms bring money to a parched village in Maharashtra
While growing a crop is extremely difficult in drought-affected Marathwada, pearl cultivation becomes an alternative and viable source of income to farmers.
Manipur’s decreasing bamboo supply hurts artisans
Urbanization is claiming another ancient industry -- bamboo artisans – as sprawling construction means not only less bamboo cover but competing demands for it from scaffolding makers.
Humble broom sweeps poverty from tribal hamlets in Odisha’s Koraput
Made mostly by tribal women, the humble household broom is a designated handicraft that is bringing income and empowering many families to become financially independent and protect their forests.
Kashmir’s cricket bats go global, give English willow a run for its money
Bat-maker Fawzul Kabeer helps bring Kashmiri willow bats the attention and market they deserve.
Porters at Attari-Wagah border bear the brunt of India-Pakistan trade curb
Penury and debt stare at porters working at Attari-Wagah border as bilateral trade is hit hard by rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terrorist attack.
J&K: Gujjar women’s embroidered skullcaps lose out to modern fashion
Colourfully embroidered skullcaps are the cultural identity of the Gujjar women of Kashmir. With the younger generation not keen on wearing the caps, the women fear losing their tradition.
Plastic cuts into pottery culture – but not in Manipur
The signature red pottery of Thongjao village is spun by women who have never faced any dip in demand because Manipur locals prefer clay earthenware to plastic and aluminium, especially in festivals and religious rituals.
India’s rural youth show high interest in entrepreneurship, finds survey
While nine out of 10 rural businesses in India are first-generation enterprises, an increasing number of young men and women in rural India want to own businesses, finds a survey.
How Manipur’s rural women are weaving wonders from Kauna weed
Organic baskets, mats and other decorative handicrafts made of kauna grass grown in the marshes of the Imphal valley are providing a sustainable livelihood to women and their families.