5 December 2016 Last updated at 00:05 GMT
Hard currency is in short supply following the governmentâ€™s surprise decision to scrap 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in an effort to curb corruption.
The BBC visited a village in the state of West Bengal to meet farmers and labourers who are trying desperately to survive without cash in hand.
Filmed and edited by Neha Sharma. Produced by Shalu Yadav.
Many Indian villages are returning to bartering amid a nationwide cash crisis.