Kashmir’s Alpha Generation

From Iqbal’s vision to AI labs in Srinagar, a digital awakening is taking root in Kashmir. It’s time to let go of outdated dreams and embrace the skills that build new worlds.

- Aubaid Akhoon

Something is changing in the valley. You hear it in classrooms, see it in cafés, feel it in homes. Everyone is asking the same question now: What comes next?

For decades, the answer was simple: doctor or engineer. If you carried a stethoscope or a blueprint, you carried honour. These paths lifted entire families, built homes, paid bills, and brought dignity. And they still do.

But the world no longer looks the same.

We are standing at the edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And this time, it’s not just machines doing heavy lifting. It’s code, data, and ideas.

Yet in too many Kashmiri homes, the dream map hasn't changed.

Young people, born into a digital world, still carry analog ambitions. We call them the Alpha Generation, children of the 21st century, raised on smartphones and global content, fluent in the language of the web. They learn on YouTube, chat across continents, and build in virtual labs. Their classrooms extend far beyond four walls. Their competition isn't next door. It's worldwide.

So why are we still guiding them with a career compass from 1985?

The truth is, today's success stories don’t come only from surgeries or civil exams. They're coming from Al startups, app studios, and data labs.