ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 focuses on workers in the informal sector in urban India. Growth in urbanization has been characterized by a large segment of the workforce in the unorganized sector as well as to some extent in the organized sector, in urban areas being informal in nature with no security of employment, payment, and social protection. Low levels of education and skills result in their inability to access the opportunities offered by emerging markets. The government of India has introduced several initiatives in recent years for skill building and entrepreneurship development among the self-employed. There is however a lot more desired. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has brought out the vulnerabilities of this segment of the workforce in a glaring manner. Women in the sector are more marginalized and have also been affected more by the pandemic crisis. A case is made for an inclusive approach that considers the informal sector workforce as an integral part of the urban setup and the imperative need to integrate their needs in urban planning and development initiatives.
