Economy

A walk along our neighbourhoods in Bengaluru will indicate the vibrancy of some of our streets. Colourful carts of green and other bright colours with a fresh supply of vegetables, fruits and flowers are therapy for the eyes, and also ensure we buy the required vitamins and minerals for our well-being. The carts of street food that offer a quick snack after shopping, or the much-needed energy after too long a day to cook dinner at home, are such a blessing. More importantly, the little stalls in unexpected corners selling just what you were looking for - such as a…

Thick Avocado milkshake, Red wine from paneer grapes, different varieties of mango and Kiwi -- exotic fruits are never in short supply in our cities these days. But have you ever wondered where these fruits are grown? Has it ever occurred to you that the Lichi you eat may have come all the way from China to our very own Koyambedu market? That there are three varieties of grapes grown in different parts of Tamil Nadu itself? The era of globalisation has seen an explosion of various foods available in urban markets, but most consumers are unaware of the origin…

When Ashish Prasad, technical lead at a bootstrapped IT startup, quit his job to take up a new one, he was assured by the company that his dues would be cleared within 45 days. But days turned into months, and repeated reminders and emails went unanswered with the dues still not paid. Not wanting to go in for time consuming and costly litigation, Ashish who had lost all hope of ever getting his dues, said he was advised to file an insolvency petition under the bankruptcy laws. “However, I am not sure if this will be fruitful”. There are many…

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship “I have aged parents to take care of, and two younger brothers to educate. That’s one of the reasons I am doing my MBA.” After completing 12th standard from a government school in Bongaigaon district, Assam, 23-year-old Merajul Hoque has come a long way, quite literally (around 2700 kms, in case you are wondering). An employee of the multinational security company G4S, he has been working as a security guard on deputation to a family in Bengaluru for over three years. While the term chowkidar has become popular for all the…

28-year-old Kamlesh Kumar moved to Uttar Pradesh’s Noida from Patna eight years ago, in pursuit of a better life. Kumar is one among thousands of rickshaw pullers (rickshaw-wallahs), mostly in their mid-20s or early 30s, who moved to Noida in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), to try their luck and earn better wages and better standards of living than they could dream of in their home towns. Reality however has been less benevolent. Noida or Gautam Buddh Nagar’s rickshaw wallahs often find themselves constantly trying to juggle the hardships of rent, finding cheap food and getting affordable medical treatment.…

C Akhila(name changed), a 12-year-old Muslim girl was forced into marriage by her family, six months ago. Her mother, who is going through a prolonged illness, persuaded her to get married to a 24-year-old man. The persuasion got violent when Akhila asked the groom to call off the wedding. “The girl threatened to complain to Childline if the wedding was not called off. Her family had hit her black and blue for doing so,” said Suganthi from Arunodhaya trust. If you think child marriages are confined to rural areas, Akhila’s incident that happened in Chennai proves you are wrong. Tales…

Over 200 home buyers across the state participated in a protest at the Town Hall on May 18th, demanding proper enforcement by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in Karnataka. The protest was organised by the Forum for People’s Collective Efforts, Karnataka Chapter (known earlier as Fight for RERA), in association with the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, Bangalore Apartments' Federation, Federation of Apartment Associations Bengaluru, and various Resident Welfare Associations and organisations across Karnataka. The protesters said that Karnataka RERA (KRERA) has not taken any stringent action even when its own judgements were not honoured by erring builders and developers. There…

Bengaluru is the second city in India, after Mumbai, to have Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs). Since 2012, BBMP has been setting up these centres in the city. While 198 DWCCs have been sanctioned for Bengaluru, 166 are functional, with capacity ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 tons a day. DWCCs are operated with the participation of waste-pickers and informal waste collectors. Thirty three DWCCs that are operated by waste-pickers, are supported by the NGO Hasiru Dala. These 33 DWCCs have special orders to engage in the bi-weekly collection of dry waste directly. DWCCs were set up to provide decentralised dry…

Triplicane, the oldest Islamic settlement in Chennai, bustles with activity now. The spirit of Ramzan is witnessed in every lane of the locality, as shops selling burkhas, Qurans and other necessities have mushroomed. The location of the Big Mosque, the oldest mosque tracing its origin to 1794, adds glory to Triplicane. Big Mosque is famous for its Mughal architecture and the less known, fascinating story of its chronogram. Chronograms are inscriptions where specific letters can be interpreted as numerals to signify a date or a period. “The numerical value assigned to each letter in the text will reflect the year…

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship “Madam, all I want now is a job that will help me meet my monthly expenses. That is all.” The worry in Sridhar’s voice and the desperation on his face as he says this, cannot be captured in words. Sridhar’s story is similar to that of many, who in their late teens or early twenties moved to Bengaluru in search of a job, often leaving behind ageing parents and small plots of farmland in their villages. Every year, thousands migrate to Bengaluru in search of a livelihood, to support themselves and…