Economics and Technologies

Community-based alternatives for production, consumption, and exchange

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This section features stories of initiatives that help to create an alternative to the dominant neo-liberal or state-dominated economy. These include: localisation of economic activity with democratic control, producer and consumer collectives, local currencies and trade, non-monetised exchage and the gift economy, ecologically sensitive products and processes, macro-economic concepts that respect ecological limits, and approaches to human well-being that go beyond growth, GDP and other narrow measures and indicators.

What we do not feature are superficial and false solutions, such as market and technological fixes for problems that are deeply social and political, or more generally, ‘green growth’ kind of approaches that only tinker around with the existing system.

Usha, dawn of hope and dignity

The Usha Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. is not just a bank but a life-changing platform for nearly 23 thousand sex workers in Kolkata

Once homeless, Mumbai heroes revolutionise shoe industry

Two young men launch a company that wants to ensure that no Indian walks barefoot

The power-full people you don’t know about

For the past seven months, N K Bhat hasn't paid a penny to the Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company. "Instead I get paid about Rs 2,000 a month,"

A silicon tide lifts many boats

Free Software Movement of Karnataka teaches children from the slum how to wield a mouse and use open source software to gain 'whitecollar' skills.

Tribal women in M.P. show that strength lies in numbers

They have formed a farmers’ produce organisation in Dewas that bypasses exploitative middlemen to access markets directly

Setting right water woes

Valvemen send direct alerts through an interactive voice response system about when the water valves are opening.

Paaduks: Shoes with soul

Inspired by an article that spoke of the possibility of using waste tyres as soles for shoes, the team dove into exploring this idea

Paper environments: Using waste to create sensitive furniture

Bhave’s products build in a level of sensitivity and softness - in the materials he uses, as also in their approach to production.

Cloth as currency – How Goonj is creating a parallel cashless economy

Using clothing, furniture, food-grains, and such, Goonj is helping rural communities develop their own infrastructure through cashless transactions.