When India implemented a strict lockdown three months ago, thousands of migrant workers walked hundreds of miles on foot to reach home, as the cities where they worked shut shop. Nearly seven million workers are estimated to have now returned to their native villages.

But this has led to a fresh crisis, as most are without any means of livelihood.

While the government has announced schemes offering at least 100 days of employment, and is trying to map workers’ skills to rural-specific jobs, most labourers say they are yet to receive any tangible benefits. Meanwhile, businesses are reopening in the cities, and facing the challenge of a missing labour pool.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Divya Varma, Centre for Migration and Labour Solutions, Aajeevika Bureau; Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder, executive vice president, TeamLease; Maneet Gohil, co-founder, CEO, Lal10