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
Thriving through challenges, young farmer offers hope, motivation
Hailing from a farming family, a young woman has qualified herself in agriculture, succeeding despite weather-related problems. Now she motivates other farmers, especially women, on adopting new techniques and enhancing income
Lack of livelihood pushes returned migrants back to cities
Lakhs of rural Rajasthan migrants returned easily during lockdown since they worked in neighboring Gujarat. However, with no local employment avenues, the urban exodus would start again
Adivasis on course to revive traditional farm practices
Deskilling of Central Indian Plateau Adivasis has led to loss of traditional knowledge and indigenous seeds. Efforts are on to reskill them by reviving traditional practices
Farmers rear fish in farm ponds for increased income
Frequent cyclones and industrial fishing have impacted the lives of fishermen and farmers in Nagapattinam. Rearing fish in farm ponds and growing crops on bunds have boosted their income
Collectives empower women to address community’s challenges
From facing opposition in forming self-help groups to ensuring drinking water and healthcare facilities, village women show the positive impact of collectivization
Strawberry cultivation brings sweet success to farmers
Marketing their vegetables posing a challenge, Bhagalpur farmers made little money despite favorable agro-climatic conditions. Switching to strawberry cultivation and direct marketing have turned their fortunes
Landless tribes fulfill nutritient needs by growing vegetables in bags
Lack of land and water left tribes without vegetables in their diet, as buying vegetables was beyond their means. Growing vegetables in bags fulfills the need at no cost
Farmers cash in on demand for immunity boosters
With no signs of the coronavirus infection abating, moringa farmers in Tamil Nadu use the increasing demand for natural immunity boosters to their advantage, by value addition
Losing livelihood, landless families bear the lockdown brunt
Entrepreneurial villagers from landless tribal communities opted for alternate livelihoods. Despite easing of lockdown restrictions, the current challenges are pushing them back to poverty