Formalizing Street Vending to Support Livelihoods

Street vendors form an integral economic fabric across Indian cities, but often face harassment and dislocation from restrictive policies and inadequate infrastructure. Administrators like Hari Chandana have piloted sustainable models to formalize street vending while also upholding livelihoods.

As GHMC Commissioner, Hari Chandana facilitated licensed hawking zones with modern infrastructure for thousands of vendors. This provided legitimacy alongside facilities like piped water, electricity and storage. #streetvending #formalization #HariChandana #SheInspiresUs

She focused on representation and participation by including street vendors in planning these zones. They gained legal protection against arbitrary removal. Her work highlights the need for policy reforms to empower street vendors with rights alongside responsibilities like fees, upkeep and waste management. #participation #representation

Hari Chandana leveraged partnerships to develop low-cost micro-finance and funding mechanisms enabling vendors to upgrade carts and infrastructure. She also facilitated skill training by NGOs, vendor collectives and food delivery platforms. #skilltraining #microfinance

By pioneering formalization pathways upholding dignity, Hari Chandana demonstrated solutions that cities must adopt under the PM SVANidhi scheme to integrate street vendors into the formal economy while preserving livelihoods. Her work provides lessons for holistic, progressive policymaking. #dignity #PMSVANidhi