Srinagar, April 28 -- When Faizan Mir made his first trade, he felt like he had found a secret door. It was 2020, deep into the pandemic lockdown. The world outside his home in Anantnag, Kashmir, had fallen still, but inside his small room, life seemed to speed up.

On his phone screen, a few clicks sent numbers jumping, turning green. His heart raced. His mind raced faster.

He made Rs.600 that day. More than what his father earned in a full shift at the orchard. It felt magical.

He didn't know it then, but that day would change everything.

Across India, Faizan was part of a quiet revolution that was only just beginning. In those lockdown months, millions of young Indians, some still teenagers, discovered trading. With free apps, viral...