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
These kids are bringing back house sparrows to their village
The children of Kulathupalayam village in Tamil Nadu, which is situated near a bird sanctuary, are using shoeboxes to bring back house sparrows that had been missing for years due to urbanisation.
Copperware carves way for Kashmir women’s empowerment
Defying gender barriers, young women are training to be coppersmiths in Kashmir and working towards making their mark in a male-dominated craft sector to ensure social and financial empowerment.
MP village youth aims for Hollywood spotlight
Shibali Biswas, a 23-year-old filmmaker from rural Madhya Pradesh, defies the odds to showcase her vibrant tribal culture globally.
Students shape a future in terracotta pottery
Two college students start Mittihub, a platform selling terracotta pottery, to improve the livelihood of traditional potters, while offering fine products to customers across India and beyond.
Shielding trout from climate change in Kashmir
Fish farmers combat autumn dry spell with a groundwater harvesting technique that ensures a continuous, round-the-year flow of fresh, cold water vital for their trout.
Copperware losing sheen for Tamtas of Almora
Tamta bazaar of Almora in Uttarakhand, the once-thriving marketplace and a vibrant hub of coppersmiths, now stands in desolation as the artisans struggle to compete with machine-made products.
Bengal farmer on ‘mission mango’ to save the fruit
A passionate farmer is making all efforts to save the disappearing diversity of mangoes in Murshidabad, which once boasted of nearly 200 local varieties.
Finding a soul in Uttarakhand’s ghost village
Set in a village with seven inhabitants, Srishti Lakhera’s National Award-winning film Ek Tha Gaon showcases the issue of Uttarakhand’s ‘ghost’ villages. She tells us about the movie, its two women protagonists and more.
Nutmeg spices up income of Tamil Nadu coconut farmers
A newly formed farmer producer organisation has freed a group of nutmeg farmers in Tamil Nadu from the clutches of middlemen and exploitative buyers, boosting their income and ushering positivity.