Street vendors form the lifeblood of India’s informal economy, serving millions daily, yet rarely acknowledged in development discussions. Our initiative, Empower the Unseen, seeks to amplify the voices of these vendors by understanding their challenges, recognizing their contribution to the urban ecosystem, and connecting them to opportunities that foster dignity and growth.
Through surveys and on-ground engagement in and around our university community, we identified recurring issues such as lack of access to formal credit, harassment, poor working conditions, and limited awareness of government schemes. To address this, our project bridges information gaps by educating vendors about policies and schemes aligned with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Our goal is simple yet powerful: to ensure inclusive growth that recognizes every individual’s right to security, livelihood, and respect.