Srinagar, Mar 24: The steady return of migrant labourers to the Kashmir Valley has injected fresh momentum into the region’s economy, signalling a revival in key sectors such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality after a slump last year triggered by security disruptions.
Industry stakeholders told Kashmir Convener that a visible uptick in activity has been observed since the beginning of this month, with workers from Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh arriving in large numbers to replenish the workforce that underpins the Valley’s informal sector.
“We have seen a surge in footfall over the last ten days. Without these workers, the foundation of our summer economy would collapse,” said Mohammad Yousuf Rather, an industrialist. “Their return is the clearest indicator that economic activity is finally regaining lost ground.”
Farooq Ansari, a migrant worker from Bihar who arrived on March 15, recalled the disruption of the previous year. “With the construction season starting in Kashmir, labourers, masons, and carpenters have begun coming in. More are expected in the coming days,” he said.
Last year, the exodus of workers was accelerated by the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and the subsequent military strikes, codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’. Ansari said he had cut short his stay in 2024. “We had to leave our work half-finished and return home in a hurry last year. We lost three months of wages,” he said. “We hope the situation remains peaceful and we can spend the entire working season here.”
Local contractors confirmed the trend, pointing to a revival in project execution as the primary driver. “Construction activity suffered last year due to a shortage of labourers. We had to halt several private projects,” said Umar Ahmad, a Srinagar-based contractor. “This year, workers have started returning with the onset of the season. We have already resumed work on three housing complexes, and I expect projects to pick up pace in the coming weeks.”
Official data reflects the sector’s reliance on this workforce. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, as of November 26, 2025, a total of 3,611,005 unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, from Jammu and Kashmir were registered on the national e-Shram portal. Census data from 2011 indicates that migrant labourers constitute approximately 80 per cent of Kashmir’s construction workforce. Officials estimate that between 4,00,000 and 5,00,000 workers traditionally arrive in the Valley annually from states including Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
Despite an improvement in the security landscape, records show that between 2019 and 2024, at least 36 migrant workers were killed in militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the current influx is being attributed to a combination of higher wages and relatively better working conditions compared to other regions.
“A skilled mason can earn up to Rs 1,000 a day here, which is nearly double what they would get in their home states during the off-season,” said Abdul Gani Dar, a labour contractor in Sopore. “The flow of remittances has started again. When they work, the entire ecosystem—from transporters to small eateries—functions.”
The seasonal migration sustains families back home through remittances, while local businesses and households depend on the workers for timely project completion, highlighting a mutual economic reliance that continues to drive the Valley’s seasonal recovery.
Meanwhile, with Jammu and Kashmir expecting a significant influx of visitors in the coming weeks, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan directed the Union Territory administration to ensure foolproof security arrangements at all tourist destinations across the region.
Official sources said the home secretary chaired a high-level review meeting via video conferencing, emphasising the need to strengthen the security grid around major tourist hotspots to prevent any untoward incident and ensure a safe environment for visitors.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Home Secretary Chandraker Bharti, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and other senior police and intelligence officials. It was convened to review the overall security scenario with a particular focus on safeguarding tourists ahead of the upcoming season, sources added.
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