Why Kashmir's Best Minds Are Packing Their Bags

Sometimes it takes a $1,600 robot to expose a ₹350-crore illusion.

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The same story is unfolding across the valley these days. Parents worry about their children’s future. Young graduates spend long nights scrolling through job portals. The dream itself is modest: a stable paycheck close to home. But the reality is harder to ignore.

That dream, for many, now begins with a one-way ticket out of the valley.

The numbers tell a sobering tale. While India’s overall unemployment hovers around 3.5%, Jammu and Kashmir sits at nearly double that figure: 6.7%. But look closer at young people aged 15 to 29, and the picture grows darker.

Nearly one in five youth here can’t find work, compared to one in ten nationally. In cities like Srinagar and Jammu, the situation feels almost desperate, with youth unemployment spiking to 32% during some survey periods.