In this webinar, Dr. Mandeep Grewal examines migration and remittances along the India-Nepal corridor, focusing on the experiences of Nepali migrants in India and the ways in which migration and remittances shape household livelihoods and opportunities.
Drawing on the aspiration-capability perspective developed by Hein de Haas, alongside insights from Amartya Sen’s capability approach, the seminar considers migration as the outcome of the interaction between people’s aspirations and their capacity to realise them. It also asks whether migration and remittances can expand the substantive opportunities available to migrants and their families to pursue the lives they value.
Based on mixed-method research and primary fieldwork with Nepali migrants in India, the presentation explores migration motivations and aspirations, employment and livelihood experiences, and the role of remittances in supporting household well-being and future opportunities. It also considers barriers to sending remittances, including transaction costs, accessibility, documentation requirements, financial and digital literacy, trust, and service availability.
Rather than viewing remittances simply as financial transfers, the seminar highlights how their developmental significance depends on the ways migrants and their families are able to use these resources to pursue valued livelihood and life outcomes. The India-Nepal corridor therefore offers an important case for understanding the relationship between migration, remittances, and development in the Global South.
Zoom link: https://unu-merit-eu.zoom.us/j/5475937108?omn=84367770356
About the Speaker: Dr. Mandeep Grewal is an Assistant Professor at the School of Law, GD Goenka University in Gurugram, India, where she teaches Political Science, International Relations, and Public Policy. Her research focuses on migration, remittances, public policy, international relations, and development in the Global South. Her doctoral research examines migration and remittances along the India-Nepal corridor, while her broader interests include migrant livelihoods, financial inclusion, remittance practices, and the evolving role of digital technologies and FinTech in cross-border financial transfers.
