‘Kashmiri Youth Can Build Global Startups’

With thousands of resumes gathering dust, the development expert insists, the future belongs to risk-takers.

- Aashig Hussain Andrabi

‘ashmir’s job crisis lingers. Thousands of graduates chase scarce government posts while the private sector stalls. Startups, freelancing, and green skills offer hope, but experts warn the valley must urgently rethink work or risk being left behind.

“Kashmir cannot afford to miss the green revolution the way it missed the IT boom,” says Arjimand Hussain, a Kashmir-born international development professional who has spent two decades working across 17 countries.

Now based in the Middle East and North Africa, where he leads multi-million-dollar projects on youth employment, education reform and climate resilience, Hussain has become a prominent voice on Kashmir's economic future.

He believes the valley's biggest challenge is not the lack of talent, but the lack of preparedness.

“Our youth are smart, resilient and hungry to succeed,” he says. “The problem is that our systems, including education, skilling, and policies, are not aligned with the world of today.”

Hussain, who also founded Ziraat Times, a business and agriculture media platform, argues that young Kashmiris need to think beyond government jobs and embrace entrepreneurship, freelancing, and startup culture.

He points to global trends in AI, green energy, and climate-smart farming as areas where Kashmir could carve out a niche if the right skills and support systems are put in place.

“We need to mainstream freelancing as a career choice, create real data on jobs and skills, and encourage startups not just in IT, but in agriculture, climate adaptation and services,” Hussain explains. “This is about survival. The world is moving, and we have to move with it.”

In an interview with Kashmir Observer, Arjimand Hussain talks about Kashmir's job crisis, the mindset around government employment, the missing startup ecosystem, and what it will take for Kashmiri youth to seize global opportunities in a fast-changing world.