Assamese rural youth who once worked with insurgent outfits are giving up their gun-fueled violent ways and taking to banana cultivation for a peaceful and dignified livelihood
If producer companies that aim to benefit poor farmers are to succeed in India, critical factors such as a sense of ownership, correct assessment of economic environment and social capital need to be better thought out
Farm ponds, built to harvest rainwater and irrigate rain-fed fields, are doubling up as fishponds, helping farmers overcome vagaries of agriculture with an additional source of income
Moving beyond toys, artisans in a Karnataka village make curios, and use new toy making and marketing methods to overcome challenges posed by cheap Chinese imports and restore the glory of Channapatna’s non-toxic wooden toys
Flood and drought often drive the rural poor to cities. Those who are landless often stay on. Risking lives under the open sky, they hope a city’s many work opportunities will help them survive somehow
The promotion of micro-enterprises in villages to meet the large demand for livelihoods would benefit from out-of-the-box ideas that move beyond hackneyed activities like making papads and pickles
Women in rural Nalanda are popularizing the use of a traditional grinding stone to pound flour out of roasted gram, providing a healthier alternative to machine-ground sattu and earning a livelihood for themselves
Many farmers in Jharkhand have started taking progressive steps as rural entrepreneurs, offering a host of services to help local smallholders move beyond subsistence agriculture and towards increased incomes
Self-help groups in villages bring financial and social empowerment to women, changing entrenched perceptions on their competence in managing their affairs
Linking technology and Aadhaar unique identity numbers, the direct benefit transfer of fertilizer subsidy in Andhra Pradesh has helped in curbing malpractices and has benefited farmers by preventing leakages
