1. • The labor sector of the Indian economy consists of
over 487 million workers, the second largest after
china. Of these over 94% work in unincorporated ,
unorganized enterprises ranging from pushcart
vendors to daily wage workers (planning commission of
India (2007)) .
• The unorganized sector has low productivity and
offers low wages . Even though it accounted for over
94% of the working force , it creates just 57 % of
India’s national domestic product (9 fold less per
worker than the organized sector).
• India’s national sample survey office in its 67th
report found that unorganized manufacturing ,
trading , retail and services employed about 10 %
each of all workers nationwide. It also reported 58
million unincorporated non agricultural enterprises
in 2010.
India, the most populous democracy in the world is the 10th largest economy by nominal
GDP (International monitory fund). the country is a growing market of the import-export,
industry, agriculture and the associated services. Bringing this to life is the dense network of the
informal (labor) sector.
INFORMAL SECTOR – THE BACKBONE OF A DEVELOPING ECONOMY
13 million new
worker every
year
5 million
( works in informal sector)
8 million
( being unemployed)
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5 million youth every year out of the 13 million new
workers join the ranks of poorly paid partial employment,
casual labor pool for temporary infrastructure and real
estate construction jobs , or in many cases , being
unemployed. (tripti lahiri , the wall street journal)
The labour (informal) sector forms a very essential
yet ignored part of the mixed Indian economy

2. Through the years India has evolved as a nation that
progresses financially, culturally and socially primarily
due to the contribution of its overpowering informal
sector. The majority of this sector is the labor force
that works in the various services that make the
country. A section of these today, are subjected to
deplorable living conditions so much so that they are
constantly striving to strike a balance between their
basic requirements of shelter, amenities (food, water,
sanitation) and employment to earn their living. Their
whereabouts, obtainments of basic facilities as well
as employment patterns are erratic and unreliable. It
is a pity, that even though they form a major
contribution to the service sector and are
instrumental in the functioning of our society and
various levels, they are not well equipped enough to
avail for rights that will actually appreciate and uplift
their dignity of labor.
Our approach therefore, is to identify this otherwise
overlooked, vulnerable section of society and design
policies and programs pertaining specifically to their
upliftment.
By penning down formal policies, as to how this
vulnerable section needs to be dealt with only
practically, dilutes the sensitivity of this entire issue.
Therefore, we choose to set forth guidelines and
provide ways to implement these at a grassroots-
level, to illustrate the well struck balance between
feasibility as well as understanding of our approach.
We intend to blur the boundary between the society
and this informal working population
BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES – AN APPROACH TO DESIGN
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Psychological mindset of a homeless worker

3. An efficient management system should be set up for informing, implementing and monitoring the policies.
A study should be made of the various informal sectors in the city based on the density, work culture and lifestyle.
A social and physical platform must be set up, so that an individual from this section can associate himself with it
so as to give him the security of belonging to a formalized system that will make him an eligible citizen of the society.
This cooperative platform will provide the relevant information about schemes and programs provided to the
informal sector by the government
Monitoring system Information on arrival
Sharing of ideas
PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE UNIDENTIFIED
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4. Understanding the most pressing need of these individuals in their respective localities, A physical intervention should be brought
about to create a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationship between the society as well as this vulnerable section of society.
A Physical intervention
i) Will be given an added function so that it can be utilized as also a skill up gradation unit for those individuals who have availed for it.
ii) Will be associated with commercial functions so as to self generate revenue for its working.
Non-bank financial institutions will be set up at each of the platforms to monetarily connect these individuals to government
affiliated banking systems.
Collaboration with NGO’s, Social workers and local association is essential for the formation of these institutions.
A financial linkage should be set up between the various financial institute for the parallel development of the scheme.
Information technology department (IT) should be assigned to create
a database of individuals belonging to the informal sector who
intend to avail for their registration to the system.
The record will be used to understand their footfall in the locality as
well as for future planning and commercial development of the same.
A formal official website should be design which will pace up and
simplify the process of acquiring jobs for these deprived section of
the society.
Making use of the technology, the databases will be shared on a
website designed specifically for employers to access and hence,
provide quality employment to the labour force.
PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE UNIDENTIFIED
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Social and financial security
Labor network

5. CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT
STATE
GOVERNMENT
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT TRANSITION CENTRE
BASIC
FACILITIES
NON BANK
FINANCIAL
INSTITUTE
SKILL
UPGRADATION
CENTRE
SITE SPECIFIC
FUNCTION
(Formal platform)
Employment, Economic support, Identity,
certified skill recognition, work experience,
social security.
Rozgar naka /
Day and night
shelter /
Hawkwes
plaza
Sanitation, Amenities,
Access to technology,
Food and education
security
Workshops, training
centre
Financial depositary,
Labour collateral,
Social security.
toilets
Basic facilities
Non bank
financial
institute
Skill upgradation centre
Rozgar naka/ hawker plaza
Schematic representation of
a social and physical
platform consisting
transition centre and the
site specific function
NGO, Social Workers and
Local Associations and
Unions ( Finance team)
Executive officer (moderator)Region Controller
and Ward officer
Sectoral
Representatives
DATABASE
DEPARTMENT
Information
technology team
Divisional officer
Volunteers
Data regarding the
footfall and labor
network
Real Estate Agents,
Commercial dervelopers
WEBSITE
Quality Employment Social security
Commercial
Functions
Revenue
Generation
THE MONITORING SYSTEM
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6. As a majority of the labor force being migrants into urban
areas they are rendered to one of the major survival issues –
housing .
“ Home is a notion that only the nations of homeless fully
appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend.”
•Homelessness is the manifestation of extreme poverty and
vulnerability of this working population. Uncertainty prevails
in their lives with no permanent jobs, identities ,livelihood
and no permanent roof above them.
•They lack adequate amenities that are essential to achieve
the basic standard of living. Striving to survive , they maximize
everything available to them. Therefore, we see them
encroaching public spaces and utililizing public facilities.
•The flourishing urban growth provides job opportunities and
this money making incentives increase migration rates into
the urban centres.
Factors that render them invisible :
1.lack of formal address and
therefore lack of citizenship.
2.location of sleeping is irregular
3.occupying public spaces rather
than prime city land.
HOMELESSNESS – AN URBAN REALITY
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On site documentation of various localities in major urban centres in the
country showing how homeless working population become visible when the
city breaths in the dark.
Apart from being overlooked for their
valuable contribution in the
commercial and service sector of
urban India, homeless are termed
invisible even as citizens.
Therefore, it is crucial to identify the role homeless play in the development of a commercial sector and uplift their present condition
by economy empowering them for a developed economy in the city.

7.  An efficient management system should be set up informing, implementing and monitoring the policies.
A study should be made of the varied homeless involved in the locality based on density, work culture and lifestyle.
 The programme for occupancy in the night shelter should be based on the studies made and hence are subjected to change with every
changing context.
The night shelter should accommodate 70% of working men,20% of working women and 10% of families (based on survey).
The above mentioned figures should be made flexible, as and when the site demands
 A tender should be released for the development of the night shelter by interested parties including NGOs and the required land should be
made available free of cost by the government.
The tender should also be open to NGO’s and other non governmental organizations.
 A financial linkage should be set up between the various prototypes in an urban context so that long term goals are made through parallel
development.
 Collaborations with NGO's, hospitals and welfare associations should be made for the advocacy of the night shelter.
 A cooperative society and banking system should be set up which provides relevant information about schemes and programs provided to
the urban poor by the government.
 The proposal of night shelter should be considered as a government owned public amenity and should have reservation in the development
plan of the city.
 The shelter should lie within a 2km radius/walking distance from the work culture of the homeless.
 The day and night shelter should be replicated as a prototype in government owned development projects of public utility wherever the
need arises.
PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE HOMELESS
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8. MUMBAI - THE MAGNET CITY
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FUTURE REPLICATION – A VISION FOR A BETTER LIVING
In Mumbai most of the homeless population constitute the labor force of the city.
The design intervention becomes a prototype for all the labor sensitive areas of the city
which have high concentration of homeless labors.
Criteria for replication in the city
-High density of homeless working population .
-Strong work culture
-Should be replicated in an open or a dead space
• The design intervention is used as a catalyst to raise awareness regarding
the issue of homelessness. A self sustainable prototype is inserted in areas with
high homeless densities. These inserted acts as upliftment nodes in commercial
hubs for the homeless individuals.
• These prototype are replicated all over the city creating nodes. Various
nodes in the city link to each other in such a way that they counter
stabilize each other financially creating a system. Hence any loop hole
or imbalance in the network can be detected which helps the system to
develop parallel
• The challenge to design homeless shelter lies in the existing scenario
and living conditions of the homeless coupled with their aspirations
to gain a responsible living standards in the coarse of their lifetime.
• There is a strong stigma attached to the homeless and therefore, the
intervention of creating a street with features like interactive spaces housing various activities
like the naka system, weekly flee market, revenue generation programmes, along with the living
module aims
at diminishing this stigma
• Through this modular bit site responsive insert we are contributing back to the locality as
well as the city, as we are harnessing the services provided by the ground labor force and
organizing their distribution in the locality
• The direct proportionality of bustling commercial hubs to homeless density, reinforce the fact
that the proposed replication of our design strategy of creating a public street with a naka
system that organizes the labor network, will not only reduce the issue of homelessness as
merely living without a roof but will also uplift the living standards of one of the most
vulnerable sections of society.

9. NGO's and Government Offices:
1. DUSIB, Delhi Urban Shelter Board, New Delhi
2. Mother NGO, New Delhi
3. YUVA foundation, Mumbai
4. IGSSS, Indo-Global Social Service Society, New Delhi
5. Alternative Realities, Mumbai
6. MCD, Municipal Corporation Of Delhi, New Delhi
7. DDA, Delhi development Authority, New Delhi
8. HUDCO office, New Delhi
9. NMDC, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, New Delhi
Guidance:
1. Ar. Rohit shinkre, Principal, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai.
2. Ar. Ravindra Punde, Ex Principal, Academy of Architecture,
Mumbai.
3. Ar. Shivani Singh, Town planner, Mumbai.
4. Ar.Harshad Bhatiya, Researcher for humanity, Mumbai.
Reports:
1. Choice less on the Street - BUILD
2. Living Rough, Surviving City Streets by Harsh Mander for
Planning commission of India
3. Unsung City Heroes by Indo-Global Social Service Society
(IGSSS)
4. Strategies to Combat Homelessness by United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
5. Employment Situation in Mumbai: An Analysis by TISS
(Mumbai).
6. Homeless Survey Report 2010 BY Delhi government and
UNDP
7. India: Urban Poverty Report
8. REPORT On Urban Homeless By The National Advisor On
Homeless To The Commissioners Of The Supreme Court
9. National Programs for Urban Homeless
10. Neoliberal City by Mumbai Reader
11. Social security bill 2008
Books:
1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty
2. Alleviation, Government of India
3. Dimensions of Urban cities, by Sabir Ali
REFERENCES
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE