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
Restored farm ponds help Sahariyas tide over drought
Even as Madhya Pradesh reels under severe drought, residents of a tribal village who were denied access to water have collectively restored farm ponds to harvest the meager rainfall to fulfill their water needs
India needs more fodder to prevent cattle starvation
The estimated increase in cattle population due to growth in dairy farming and ban on cow slaughter will need increased production of fodder and restoration of common pastures to prevent livestock starvation
It’s time to explore new possibilities in village enterprises
A new generation of rural businesses are being established to cater to the changing needs of the countryside that require very little capital infusion to start and expand. There is now a need to put in place a financial ecosystem for these enterprises to thrive
Assam flood fury leaves high houses on river islands untouched
A simple innovation of building houses on a raised and reinforced earthen platform has spared many village homes on the easily flooded islands on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries
Enterprising woman farmer charts a path to prosperity
From an impoverished homemaker to a successful farmer and trusted counselor for many women in the area, the story of Sangita Mhatre of Mande is an inspiring tale of how women in rural India can take charge of their destiny given the slightest of opportunities
Rural India needs a reformed NGO sector
The need of the hour in the non-governmental sector is for the government to keep a transparent check on non-performing NGOs while recognizing and appreciating NGOs and their teams that make a positive contribution towards rural development
Non-farm enterprises as job creators in rural India
Targeted interventions and managerial assistance to promote non-farm rural enterprises have the potential to create a large number of jobs in the countryside while at the same time stemming the flow of distress migration
Kerala fishermen brave dangerous sea to eke out a livelihood
Small fishers on the Kerala coast venture out in the rough Arabian Sea during the monsoon season for a living, but there’s very little help they get in the way of easily accessible forecasts
Singur emerges as procurement hub for local farmers
Once the infamous political battlefield centered on the construction of a car factory, Singur in West Bengal has become a beacon of hope for local farmers, who sell their produce wholesale at fair prices at a state government promoted marketplace