Shalini Singh
Independent Researcher
Delhi, India
Abstract
This manuscript examines the sociological dimensions of street vending in Delhi, focusing on how vendors construct their identities, navigate multifaceted risks, and respond to formal and informal regulatory regimes. Drawing on a mixed-methods study of 200 street vendors across two major markets in Delhi—Chandni Chowk and Sarojini Nagar—this research integrates survey data, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. Findings reveal that street vendors articulate a strong collective identity rooted in community solidarity and entrepreneurial pride. Simultaneously, they employ diverse risk-management strategies to cope with economic volatility, health hazards, and periodic harassment by civic authorities.
Beyond these core insights, the study uncovers how evolving urban redevelopment projects and consumer preferences are reshaping vending practices: younger vendors incorporate digital payments and social media marketing into their itineraries, while older vendors draw on intergenerational networks for informal credit. The implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, emerges as a double-edged sword: while it offers legal recognition and organized vending zones, bureaucratic delays, and uneven enforcement perpetuate uncertainty. Interviews with association leaders underscore the importance of intermediary governance bodies (e.g., municipal vending committees) in mediating between vendors and the state.
This research argues that sustainable urban policy must move beyond static zoning maps to embrace dynamic, participatory frameworks that align with vendors’ lived realities. In doing so, cities like Delhi can harness the economic vitality and cultural vibrancy that street vending contributes, while mitigating risks through inclusive, context-sensitive regulation.
Keywords
street vending, identity, risk management, regulation, Delhi
References
- Bhowmik, S. K. (2001). Hawkers and the urban informal sector: A study of street vending in seven cities (report for NASVI/WIEGO).
- Bhowmik, S. K. (2005). Street Vendors in Asia: A Review. Economic & Political Weekly / WIEGO.
- Bhowmik, S. K. (ed.) (2010). Street Vendors in the Global Urban Economy. Routledge.
- National Policy on Urban Street Vendors (Government of India / DCMSME), 2004 — policy document and background on national regulation.
- Sodan (Sodhan) Singh & Ors v. New Delhi Municipal Committee / New Delhi Municipal Corporation — Supreme Court judgments (notably 1989 case) on right to trade and regulation of street vending.
- Olga Tellis & Ors v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985) — Supreme Court judgment establishing right to livelihood dimension of Article 21 (relevant jurisprudential background).
- SEWA / SEWA Bharat case studies and organizing work with Delhi vendors (WIEGO case study material).
- NASVI background and surveys (National Association of Street Vendors of India) — organizing, surveys and policy advocacy (including city surveys and the 2000s campaigning).
- Roy, A. (2005). Urban Informality: Toward an Epistemology of Planning. Journal of the American Planning Association — theoretical frame for informality and governance.
- Breman, J. (1996). Footloose Labour: Working in India’s Informal Economy. (useful on risk, precarity and informal labour dynamics).
- Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. (classic theoretical lens on risk).
- Scholarly review pieces and EPW items on vendors, eviction drives, and policy debates (various short pieces and reviews pre-2013; see EPW tag collections).