Mr. Pranav Gharat will present his MTP2 as per the details below:

Date: 16th June 2026, Tuesday

Time: 1720 - 1800 hrs.

Venue: C-TARA Conference Room No.1

Topic: Informal automobile manufacture and repair for transportation and livelihood.

Guide: Prof. Pankaj Sekhsaria

Examiners: Prof. Anand B. Rao, Prof. Himanshu Burte

Abstract:

This thesis investigates informal automobile manufacture and repair as socio-technical systems that generate mobility, livelihoods, and entrepreneurial opportunities in rural and small-town India. Situated at the intersection of transport studies, informal economies, and development studies, the research examines how vehicles produced outside formal industrial and regulatory frameworks respond to mobility deficits experienced by small vendors, farmers, and traders. The central research question explores the ways in which these informal vehicles address everyday transport and livelihood needs in contexts where formal transport infrastructure is either inadequate, inaccessible, or economically unviable. The study draws upon multi-sited fieldwork conducted in Neemuch and Nayagaon (Madhya Pradesh), Badi Sadri (Rajasthan), and the Narkhed-Katol region of Nagpur district (Maharashtra). Employing qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and field documentation, the research engages with vehicle owners, mechanics, workshop operators, manufacturers, and customers across the production–distribution–use chain. The empirical investigation focuses on three categories of informal vehicles: modified motorcycle-based three-wheelers used for local goods transport; purpose-built sugarcane juice vending vehicles fabricated from locally sourced materials and diesel engines; and the operation of these vending vehicles in rural and peri-urban markets. The thesis advances three key analytical contributions. First, it challenges the conventional assumption that informal vehicles emerge primarily due to individual affordability constraints. Instead, it demonstrates that they constitute a collective response to the structural absence of reliable and affordable transport services in dispersed rural market systems. These vehicles function as shared mobility infrastructures that simultaneously support transportation, commerce, and livelihood generation. Second, the study maps an inter-regional production network linking component manufacturing in Ludhiana, vehicle assembly in Badi Sadri, and end-use markets in Maharashtra, revealing a highly organized informal economy that transcends local and state boundaries. Third, through a detailed analysis of capital investment, operating costs, and revenue streams, the research establishes the economic rationality of sugarcane juice vending vehicles, showing that investment recovery periods of 12–18 months make them viable assets for low-capital entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that informal vehicles are not merely unauthorized transport technologies but adaptive innovations that emerge in response to persistent gaps in rural mobility systems and formal market offerings. The thesis argues that policy approaches centered solely on regulation and enforcement overlook the developmental functions these vehicles perform. A more nuanced policy framework that balances safety concerns with livelihood realities is essential for fostering inclusive and context-sensitive mobility systems in rural India.