ABSTRACT The informal economy in India provides more than 90 per cent of the labour force. This leads to the largest number of people in informal settings being trained informally and their skills are considered to be low. Previous research findings, however, have not supported this general assumption about low skill levels. The current study is concerned with the sub-sector of urban tailoring that has not yet been the focus of much research. The main questions of interest are: What kinds of skills do Indian tailors have and where and in what ways are these skills acquired? Twelve interviews with tailors were conducted in Delhi and ten in or near Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The results show clearly that tailors in the informal sector in India not only have a wide range of skills in tailoring, but also in organizing and running their business in economic terms.

中文翻译：

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印度非正式裁缝部门的非正式学习和技能形成

摘要印度的非正规经济提供了90％以上的劳动力。这导致在非正式场合中接受非正式培训的人数最多，他们的技能被认为是低下的。但是，以前的研究结果并不支持有关技能水平低下的一般假设。当前的研究涉及尚未成为很多研究重点的城市剪裁子领域。感兴趣的主要问题是：印度裁缝拥有哪些技能？这些技能在哪里以及以何种方式获得？在德里进行了十二次裁缝采访，在泰米尔纳德邦韦洛尔（Vellore）或附近进行了十次采访。结果清楚地表明，印度非正规部门的裁缝不仅具有广泛的裁缝技能，