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

The migrant workforce is the backbone of the Indian economy, and Kerala is among the biggest beneficiaries.

Wayanad, India – The migrant workforce, as in most countries, is the backbone of India’s economy. And Kerala, being among the states with the highest emigration rate in India, is largely dependent on workers from other regions to run its industries.

All businesses, including the beautiful tea, coffee, rubber, spice and coconut plantations spread across the state, are heavily dependent on workers from neighbouring or northern and eastern areas of India, with Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha among the top origins.

According to the United Nations, India recorded the highest number of people migrating abroad – more than 6.63 million – in 2024. There is no readily available data on migration within the country in recent years, as the census, which remains the primary source of information in India, was last conducted in 2011.

However, talk to people working in shops, factories, or any of these farms, and the chances are high that you will come across workers from other states.

Rajkumar Jani, a 23-year-old botany graduate from Odisha, is among them. Working at a tea garden in the hilly, verdant Wayanad, he did not have much time to spare as he wanted to pluck as many tender tea leaves as he could to meet the target he set for himself.