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.

Economics & Technologies: Alternative Products

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Alternative Products & Services Jugaad is about alternative lifestyle…

Economics & Technologies: Networks

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Networks ‘Decoding the Technosphere’, e-group/mailing list dedicated to exchanging…

Economics & Technologies: Tools

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Tools Localization Action Guide   by Local Futures –…

Economics & Technologies: Books, Reports, & Newsletters

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Books, Reports, & Newsletters Books: The Informal Economy…

Economics & Technologies: Websites

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Websites Digital Empowerment Foundation strives to empower marginalised communities…

Economics & Technologies: Visual & Audio

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Visual & Audio (includes Presentations & Slideshows) The video recording…

A pumpkin for the doctor

In the small Ayurvedic clinic of Dr. Suvinay Damle in Kudal, Pumpkins, Coconuts and Gourds jostle for space with bottled medicinal concoctions. The farm produce is what Damle gets as his consultation fee.

LOCOST: bringing medicines within the common man’s reach

Medicines make up 50-60% of healthcare costs in India, and they are unaffordable for most. About 2 lakh people fall below the poverty line every year due to one health shock, and the biggest expense here usually turns out to be medicine. LOCOST is a collective effort initiative of like-minded people, many of whom were doctors practicing community medicine in remote rural areas.

Small Investments usher in Big Change

Young investors provide working capital to women entrepreneurs in rural India through an online social lending platform.