Rural Livelihoods

Two decades ago, Rajiv Khandelwal and Krishnavatar Sharma started Aajeevika Bureau to make India’s invisible workers seen. Today, their effort has helped 12 lakh migrant workers reclaim Rs 120 crore in wages — and something even bigger: their dignity.

From a Delhi runway to a Gujarat charkha, khadi links breathable comfort with craft and pride. Fair pricing, better design and clear traceability are moving handspun fabric into modern wardrobes while more value reaches spinner and weaver homes.

For years, small farmers lost grain and money at diesel mills. Now, SEMA Alto’s solar rice mills help them recover 30 percent more rice, earn better, and double incomes. With over 150 units across South India, this clean-energy solution is reshaping rural livelihoods.

What if waste could earn you money, feed your soil, and bring jobs to your village? That’s what Mohammad Aamir Khan is proving with Green Wave and Waste to Health in South Kashmir.

In Tamil Nadu, the Irula tribe utilises ancestral knowledge to extract snake venom, supplying nearly 80 per cent of India’s anti-venom.

In Arunachal’s Ziro Valley, the Apatani tribe has grown rice and reared fish together for decades — a sustainable practice now eyed for UNESCO heritage status.

Dr Megha Saxena transformed pine needle waste into valuable biochar-based products, addressing one of the root causes of forest fires while enhancing agriculture. Her startup, EcoChar, not only improves soil fertility but also promotes sustainable farming.

Trupti Dhakate quit her teaching job to grow mushrooms from farm waste. She now earns Rs 4 lakh/month and has trained 200+ farmers in sustainable farming.

Three years ago, Tanushree Jain of Jaipur bootstrapped an idea and named it Nushaura. Today, the start-up is providing livelihood to 250 rural women through scented candles and other products.

Assam's Rupjyoti Saikia Gogoi found an innovative of way of dealing with the plastic waste thrown around Kaziranga National Park — weaving it into traditional handloom that is today helping over 2000 village women earn a livelihood.