@book{760717,
	author = {Samal, Kishor C.},
	title = {India's Informal Economy},
	publisher = {Digital Publishing House,},
	year = {2025.},
	address = {New Delhi:},
	edition = {1},
	note = {This book offers an in-depth exploration of India's informal economy, a vast and dynamic segment that drives much of the country's labor and economic activities. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, field insights, and policy analysis, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of how the informal sector functions, the challenges and opportunities it presents in the context of India's socio-economic landscape, tracing its historical foundations and explaining how informal work continues to absorb the majority of the labor force, particularly among marginalized groups such as women, migrants, and low-income communities. The book sheds light on key components of the informal economy including micro-enterprises, street vending, home-based work, domestic labor, artisanal production, and gig-based employment. It emphasizes the dual role of the informal sector as both a source of resilience and vulnerability — providing livelihoods to millions while often operating without legal recognition, financial support, or social protection. Through chapters dedicated to issues such as health, pensions, digitization, gender dynamics, and policy frameworks, the book outlines the complex realities of informal workers who remain excluded from many of the rights and benefits associated with formal employment. Designed for students, researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners, this book is both an analytical and practical resource. It not only documents the lived experiences of informal workers across different sectors and regions but also engages critically with debates on formalization, labor rights, and economic justice. Through a balanced narrative, the book invites readers to rethink conventional understandings of employment and value creation in India, and to recognize the informal economy as a central—not peripheral—element of national progress.}
}