Livelihoods

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.

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Walnut market a hard nut to crack

Urban India loves walnuts. But growing the tasty “super food” is labor intensive and Kashmiri walnut farmers are losing out to cheap foreign imports.

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30 hours to literacy

Spending an hour every day on activities and custom-made lessons in a cheerful environment helps migrant workers of all ages come out of literacy poverty.

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Mushroom cultivation becomes lifeline

After years struggling on paltry incomes, growing mushrooms provides West Bengali women better livelihoods and nutrition – and gives urban India more varieties.

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Barge oil spill hurting beach, mangrove and livelihoods

Cyclone Tauktae bashed a barge into rocks, resulting in an oil spill that still hasn’t been cleared, hurting Mahim’s sandy beaches, unique mangrove ecology and livelihoods of fisher folk.

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Sustainable honey offers sweeter returns

Smoking out honeybees hurts the bees, biodiversity and the taste of honey. So it’s no wonder a more sustainable method is catching on and increasing earnings.

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Himachal government strives to boost seed production

Dependent on other states for seeds that are often unsuited for local conditions, Himachal Pradesh government has introduced a scheme to produce quality seeds locally

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Eco-conscious Bishnois ensure good groundwater levels

Known for their tree-hugging environmentalism, Bishnois combine traditional knowledge and contemporary practices of agriculture to conserve groundwater.

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To prevent crop raids, villagers throw seed balls in forests

To stop wild animals from attacking their crops, villagers of Uttarakhand are ensuring more fruit trees and plants are available to the animals within the forest

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Traditional breeders conserve indigenous Dangi cattle

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Combining traditional knowledge and technical support from scientists, breeders in Maharashtra conserve indigenous Dangi cattle known for their hardy nature