By Muizza Muayqeeb, IUST, Awantipora-Kashmir
Srinagar, Jan 3: The Engineering and Technology Group of the Kashmir Care Foundation (KCF-ETG) organised an interactive session titled “Unlocking Your Future – Careers in Technology” featuring Kashmiri professionals from leading global companies including Amazon and Upgrade. The event aimed to introduce students to the multidimensional world of technology and emerging career pathways beyond conventional coding roles.
The session was led by Adil Hamid Malla, Engineering Lead at Amazon, and Aqib Bhat, Senior Software Developer at Upgrade, who jointly presented a structured overview of the global tech landscape, emphasising the growing relevance of Research & Development, Design, Business Strategy, and Infrastructure roles.
“Technology is no longer a support function; it is the backbone of society,” said Adil Hamid, adding that Kashmir is witnessing a digital awakening with local entrepreneurs leveraging technology to connect saffron, pashmina and woodcraft sectors to international markets.
Bridging Kashmir to Global Tech
The KCF-ETG initiative, officials said, seeks to democratise access to skills, mentorship and industry knowledge with the aim of transforming Kashmir from merely a consumer of technology to a hub of creators. The group has positioned technology as a flexible career alternative capable of offering global opportunities without geographic displacement.
Two Pathways: Academia and Industry
Presenters broke down the technology ecosystem into two broad career paths:
• Academia Path: Focused on foundational research in areas such as AI and Quantum Computing.
• Industry Path: Centred on product development and scaling across sectors including FinTech, Healthcare and Gaming.
Aqib Bhat observed that academia often produces the breakthroughs—such as Large Language Models—that industry later converts into consumer products.
Six Career Families Mapped
Students were introduced to six broader “career families” in technology:
1. Software & Data
2. Hardware
3. Infrastructure & Security
4. Design & Experience
5. Product & Business
6. Support & Operations
The framework showcased that technology accommodates creative, strategic, analytical and experimental mindsets alike.
Spotlight on Kashmiri Achievers
A key feature of the event was a “Professional Spotlight,” showcasing Kashmiri talent working at Amazon, Google, NVIDIA, Cisco, Meta, Qualcomm and other global organisations. The gallery included rising technologists, academic researchers, UX specialists and founders such as Sarah Andrabi (Liminary), Nafisa Muzaffar (Alson.ai), Shafat Qazi (BQE Software) and Tahir Qazi (iQuasar).
Organisers said the spotlight served as a tangible reminder that global opportunities are reachable for Kashmir’s youth provided they receive structured mentorship, exposure and skill-building ecosystems.
Workshops, Internships and Mentorship Announced
In line with its motto “Humanity Always… Education First!”, KCF-ETG announced two upcoming initiatives:
• Hands-on Workshops/Internships: 6–12 week projects to address real-world problem statements.
• 1:1 Mentorship Program: Pairing students with experts from Amazon, Google, NVIDIA and other firms for guidance and strategy.
“Failure is just a data point in tech,” said Adil Hamid, assuring students that the group’s goal is to provide support so they do not navigate the field alone.
Organisers described the initiative as part of a broader effort to align Kashmiri youth with the global digital economy and cultivate a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and collaborative problem solving@ Adil Hamid Malla
