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
Assam’s rural theatre: Curtains up or down?
Despite competition from Netflix and YouTube, small theatre troupes in Assam enjoy a loyal patronage. Yet, with acting as their main livelihood, the artists face uncertainty during the pandemic.
Assam’s rural theatre: Curtains up or down?
Despite competition from Netflix and YouTube, small theatre troupes in Assam enjoy a loyal patronage. Yet, with acting as their main livelihood, the artists face uncertainty during the pandemic.
Meet Similipal’s young forest “Protection Assistants”
Meet the youths working with the forest department – designated as “Protection Assistants” – to prevent poaching, stop illegal timber logging in Similipal National Park and spread the word about the benefits of park protection.
Kashmir’s cricket bat industry goes for a toss
Kashmir’s political and pandemic lockdowns, never mind inadequate infrastructure, are dealing a severe blow to its 100-crore cricket bat industry, which experts say could otherwise be booming.
Desi rose brings sweet smell of success
A once drought-stricken village in Maharashtra today is full of “lakhpatis” thanks to cultivating and creatively selling the “desi rose” – known for its intense fragrance and use in rituals and festivities.
Sun-dried vegetables find “flavour” in Kashmiri kitchens
Sun-drying summer vegetables, an ancient Kashmiri practice to make up for lack of fresh produce in the harsh winters, are still in demand thanks to their distinct flavour and the increasingly early onset of winters.
Ferocious river threatens potters’ livelihood
The 500-year-old legacy of Majuli Island’s potters is at risk as the River Brahmaputra slowly swallows their land and, ironically, measures to prevent erosion only add to the potter’s woes, never mind the next generation’s lack of interest in the art.
Tourism-dependent islanders struggle to stay afloat
Villagers in Elephanta Island were filled with hope when tourism resumed after the COVID-19 lockdowns. But with fear of a third wave and few tourists showing up, they begin the new year with apprehensions.
Women in Naxal hotbed “scoop up” sitaphal income
Tribal women in the Naxal stronghold of Bastar "scoop up" a fruitful income by harvesting custard apples and extracting the pulp, meeting the growing demand of urban India and foreign markets.