This document summarizes information about street vending in Bangalore, India. It finds that Bangalore has an estimated 30,000 street vendors who provide a source of low-skill employment. Most vendors earn very low daily incomes between 50-100 rupees and work long hours under difficult conditions. The document also examines case studies of individual street vendors in different markets in Bangalore and finds that harassment from authorities and need to pay bribes varies significantly depending on the market. Overall, street vending provides a livelihood for the poor and vulnerable in Bangalore but they face many regulatory hurdles.

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2.  The informal sector as defined by International Labour Organisation
(ILO) consists of small scale, self-employed activities (with or
without hired workers), typically are of low level of organisation and
technology with the primary objective of generating employment
and incomes.
Informal Sector in Bangalore
 With the rapid growth of the city environs and
employment opportunities, the population has
multiplied over the years with Bangalore being
the fastest growing city in the country. However
the city has not been able to bare the influx of
people, giving rise to serious difficulties.
 The city has an estimated number of 30,000 street
vendors.

3. •A large section of street vendors in
urban areas are those with low skills and
who have migrated to the larger cities
from rural areas or small towns in
search of employment.
•These people take to street vending
when they do not find other means of
livelihood.
•Though the income in this profession is
low, the investment too is low and the
people do not require special skills or
training. Hence for these people, street
vending is the easiest form for earning
their livelihood.

4. •A large section of the
hawker population consists
of poor and unemployed
youth, helpless women folk
and orphaned children.
They form a major part of
the neglected in our
society and have no other
means to make a living. In
occupations of such
meagre earning too, they
face hurdles at every
level. The associations and
unions formed for their
rights are controlled by
men of greater means who
hardly fight for them.

5. Street Vending in Bangalore
•Street vending in Bangalore is regulated
by certain acts of the Karnataka
Government(Bangalore being the capital
of the state).
•The Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964
states that municipal corporations in the
state are obliged to make adequate
provisions for constructing, altering and
maintaining public streets and markets
and provide suitable places for
vegetable vending.
•The Karnataka Municipalities Bye-laws,
1966 made a special provision that in
certain streets or public roads, as
specified by the municipal council /
corporation,sale of goods such as
vegetables, fruits etc. may be permitted
temporarily and a monthly or daily fee
may be charged.

6. • In 2000, as a result of a High Court judgement, the Bangalore
Mahanagarpalike (Municipal Corporation) had issued a draft
notification stating that hawking can be carried on only in the
hawking zones between 8 A.M and 8 P.M.
• Besides only one hawking licence per family was to be issued for a
fee of Rs.150/- per month payable in advance amounting to
Rs.3,600/-. The license may be renewed at the discretion of the
commissioner.
Social Composition
 The sex composition of the vendors show that in some areas women
predominate. In the busy City Market, the main vegetable and fruit
market of the city,female vendors constitute 70% of the total. In
other areas however, women constitute between 20% to 30% of the
vendors.
 It was found that most of the women vendors (70%) belong to the
schedulecastes and they are poorer than their male counterparts.
All had very low educational levels, in fact a majority were
illiterate and the rest had studied up to primary school. These
women were all mobile vendors who carried their goods in baskets
on their heads and went from door to door to sell their wares.

7.  Most of them took loans from money lenders and paid a daily
interest of Rs.10. Their average income ranged from Rs. 30 to Rs.
50 per day and they worked every day of the week. They said that
if they did not earn any money on a particular day they had to take
loans to buy food for the family. These women worked for 12 hours
a day. Some of them left their homes as early as 3.30 a.m. to get
their goods from the market.
Income, Working Conditions and Employment
 The average income of the vendors is low. Their daily earnings
ranged between Rs. 50 and Rs. 100 per day. Their income
depended on the type of goods sold. Female vendors selling
vegetables earned the lowest. Their income ranged between Rs. 35
and Rs. 50 per day. They are mainly petty vegetable vendors. Male
vendors selling non-perishable goods such as garments, foot wear
household articles etc earn more, between Rs. 65 and Rs. 100 per
day.
 The working conditions of the hawkers showed that almost all were
involved in the activity for 6 to 7 days in the week. They sold their
goods during most of the day or in the mornings and evenings.

8.  The activity was at its peak in the evenings as most of the
office goers bought goods while returning home. The
minimum time spent on street vending(including time
spent on procuring the goods) was 9 to 10 hours every day.
 Hawkers employing helpers on paid basis is very rare but
10% of the hawkers are assisted by their family members.
 Since hawking is not a licensed activity in Bangalore, street
vendors face harassment from the police and the municipal
authorities. Vendors operating in the suburbs or as mobile
vendors are less harassed. Those working in the city centre
most harassed. This harassment is reflected through
continuous eviction by the police and fines paid by the
vendors which range from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100. The vendors
felt that the municipal authorities are not as corrupt as the
police. These vendors have to pay Rs. 2 or 3 every day to
the beat constable in order to ply their trade.

9. CASE STUDY-1
Malleshwaram
 This is a very important market area in Central Bangalore which largely
contains shops.
 Prasad M., 27, has been selling small toys and fancy items on the 8th
cross road of Malleshwaram for the past two years. He does not earn
more than Rs 200 per day and has to pay Rs 2-5 to each traffic police
who passes by. He is made to vacate the place whenever the Circle
Inspector comes to raid the area, which happens at least twice a day.
Some times, he is able to get the information of the jeep arriving
from other hawkers at the other end of the road and escapes them.

10. Malleshwaram
Majestic
City Market
Gandhi Bazaar

11.  Case Study 2: Small time vendor
 Majestic
Considered the heart of Bangalore city and a primary trading
area.
 Manjunath. 32, Fruit vendor by profession; has been selling on
the same stretch for nearly 13 years. He was the most vocal
and complained of harassment. He makes daily sales of Rs
1000 and Rs 100 is given away as bribes. On Sundays, these
people have to pay higher amounts as bribes. When he goes to
the City Wholesale Market for buying fruits, he has to pay Rs
10-15 in spite of showing the purchase bill as proof.

12.  Case Study 3: A vendor in the inner circle
 City Market
The Sri Krishna Rajendra Market, commonly known as the city
market, is a retail trade centre primarily for perishable items.
 One of them is Iqbal, 45, whose relatives own two shops. He
has grown up working here right from his childhood. He sells
cucumbers and makes sales of Rs 2000 every day. He faces no
harassment. Occasionally he pays a bribe of Rs 10-20.

13.  Case Study-4
 Gandhi Bazaar
This is one of the oldest markets in Bangalore city where the
freshest of vegetables, fruits, and flowers are sold.
 Yezhmalai, M, 35 migrated from Salem, Tamil Nadu, as he does
not have land in Salem and decided to move to Bangalore city
in search of work. He sells vegetables (onions and tomatoes).
He does not possess a licence. He entered the profession using
his own capital worth Rs 500 (10 years ago). He invests Rs 300
daily and makes Rs 100-150 profits daily. So his monthly
income is roughly Rs4500/-. He mentioned very clearly that he
does not have any problem from the authorities, has never
been booked, and he is happy because he is a mobile vendor.
His friend Murugan, also from Tamil Nadu, corroborated his
views.

14.  We notice an important irregularity in Bangalore city when it comes
to hawking. Each hawking zone identified differs vastly in
character; such as the cost of illegality is higher in the city market
area than it is in Gandhi Bazaar and Malleshwaram. This has to do
with the latter two markets being in residential areas with a strong
union backing, while the market is highly disorganised with more
players squeezing the little livelihood they earn each day.
 Thus, the poorest in our country are not only deprived of a decent
living but also bound by the shackles of state regulations and
bureaucratic hurdles, which only dishearten them. Further, they
end up living to fight a battle throughout life at every instance.

15.  CCS RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PAPERS 2004, Centre for Civil
Society
 HAWKERS AND THE URBAN INFORMAL SECTOR: A STUDY OF
STREET VENDING IN SEVEN CITIES, Prepared by Sharit K.
Bhowmik for National Alliance of Street Vendors of India
(NASVI)

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