Srinagar, July 26 -- The gap isn't in infrastructure. It's cultural, structural, and human. Startup India is a national mission. But in Jammu and Kashmir, it's still largely a slogan.

Local entrepreneurs report that they can't find reliable, skilled workers. At the same time, thousands of qualified youth complain of a mismatch between their aspirations and what's on offer.

A young tech graduate may learn Python in theory, but he either finds no meaningful application for it in the local economy or is lured away by Gulf salaries. Even when startups try to build in Kashmir, they can't retain talent. And those with talent don't find reasons to stay.

This is not a simple jobs-versus-workers issue. It is about deep systemic misalignment.

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