| Summary/Abstract |
This article highlights emerging patterns of domestic remittance arrangements among migrant construction workers from West Bengal in Kerala that have now become defunct because of COVID-19. Earlier field surveys and in-depth interviews showed how Bengali migrant construction workers, relying on networks of friendship and trust, were learning to remit through formal channels, in contrast with many micro-studies showing the dominant role of informal channels in domestic remittances. High wage rates in Kerala enabled such migrant construction workers to send significant amounts, used for productive activities besides household expenses. However, there were significant changes in arrangements, before COVID-19 enforced a dramatic suspension of remittances, raising important questions about future possibilities.
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