Grassroots Organization and Informal Economy: Learnings from Hawker Sangram Committee

Abstract

The informal sector, characterized by unregulated economic activities, dominates the contemporary global economy and supports about 80% of all employed individuals in India. Grassroots Organizations (GROs) play a crucial role in legitimizing and supporting the informal sector, particularly when formal means are unavailable. The GRO, Hawker Sangram Committee (HSC) in Kolkata, India, has united hawkers’ unions across the city, state, and country, formed the National Hawker Federation, and passed the 2014 Street Vendors Act, legalizing street hawking and vending in the country. This study presents the roles and practices of such GROs in legitimizing informal workers through interviews with HSC members and union leaders, focus group discussions with street hawkers, and photo documentation. As the informal sector is expected to grow with global urbanization, recognizing GROs’ roles in supporting marginalized individuals can provide useful policy insights to governments, practitioners, and scholars across nations.