Street vendors constitute an important segment at the bottom of the pyramid of the informal economy in cities. Street vending provides a source of self-employment, and acts as a measure of urban poverty alleviation. Street vending also has a prominent place in the urban supply chain, and provides inexpensive and convenient access to goods and services to all segments of the population including the poor. Street vending is therefore an integral part of the economic growth process in urban areas.

Low levels of education and skills, limited access to formal credit and micro enterprise support constrain street vendors’ ability to access emerging market opportunities. On account of being unorganised and self-employed, street vendors and their families often lack in any linkage to social security, welfare and assistance schemes and initiatives of the Government. This makes street vendors and their families vulnerable in difficult times, or when they may require assistance for unforeseen expenses.

In this context, the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) seeks to address the concerns of urban street vendors by facilitating access to suitable spaces for vending, institutional credit, improved skills and social security linkages. The Support to Urban Street Vendors Component of NULM sets out the strategy and operational guidelines with regard to this component.

Objectives:

The objective of the component is to address the vulnerabilities of the urban street vendors through a multi-pronged approach. This includes: