INDIA | Sunday, 13 January 2013 | Views [205] | View Smaller Image
The 250,000 street vendors of Mumbai are a part of the urban poor that has moved on to create jobs for themselves with minimal capital, instead of depending on the indifferent government to help them. Experts estimate that the ‘informal’ economy from businesses such as street-vending contributes significantly towards the country’s annual economic growth and is responsible directly or indirectly for as much as 90% of all employment. Seen here hiding from the midday sun on the heavily polluted Chowpatty beach, is a “gola” (slush) vendor.
