Driven by money, pushed by passion: Migrant tea pickers of Kerala, India

Al JazeeraEN 3 min read 100% complete by By Amit MalaviyaFebruary 16, 2026 at 06:34 PM

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Kerala, India, relies heavily on migrant workers from other Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha to support its industries, including tea, coffee, and spice plantations. Driven by better economic opportunities, workers like Rajkumar Jani and Shyam Kalpadia from Odisha migrate to Kerala to work in tea gardens, where their earnings are based on the quantity of tea leaves collected. Kalpadia, one of the first from his hometown to arrive six years ago, introduced many others to the industry. India recorded over 6.63 million people migrating abroad in 2024, and while internal migration data is limited, migrant workers are prevalent in Kerala's shops, factories, and farms. These workers seek employment in Kerala due to a lack of opportunities in their home states.