Street Vendors in India: Study

in Ten Cities

Sharit Bhowmik

Professor of Labour Studies

Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Mumbai

ICDD Research Cluster

Fourth Workshop. University of Campinas, Brazil November 2011

Ten cities covered

Bengaluru (Bangalore) (south),

Bhubaneswar (east), Delhi (north),

Hyderabad (south), Imphal (North

East), Indore (central), Jaipur (west),

Lucknow (north), Mumbai (west),

Patna (east)

Definition

Person who offers goods for sale to

the public at large without having a

built up structure (permanent). Could

be mobile or stationary

Positive aspects of street vending

Urban poor procure their necessities

at cheap rates.

One section of urban poor (hawkers)

subsidise other sections

Total employment from street vending

higher if backward linkages are

considered

SVs sell goods made in small or

household sector

Plastics, food stuff, clothes, small

vegitable growers etc

SVs provide markets for these goods

Sex

Overwhelmingly male

Imphal 90% female

Bengaluru, Delhi, Jaipur 30% or more

Indore, Mumbai 28%

Hyderabad 16%

Bhuibaneswar, Lucknow 7%

Educational levels

Majority are functionally literate

5% no schooling

65% Primary

25 % up to secondary

Higher secondary 2-3%

Mumbai HS 6%

Few graduates and post graduates

Income

Rs. 141 a day was need based

minimum wage in urban areas

Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Lucknow

85% earn more

Mumbai, Delhi 65%

Jaipur above 50%

Imphal, Indore, Patna: less than 50%

No of dependents

4 or more

Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar,

Hyderabad, Indore, Patna 80% or

more

Mumbai, Jaipur above 70%

Delhi 45%

Rent seeking, evictions

Bribes range between 5 to 20% of

income

Lower for women as they earn less

All have been evicted at least once

More than half evicted three times

Previous employment

Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Indore,

Patna: 30% had regular wage

employment

20-50% rural migrants

30% second generation