National Institute of Technology Srinagar students have launched a startup aimed at transforming India’s unorganised construction labour sector by bringing traditional labour chowks onto a digital platform.
The startup, “BigBrick,” was founded by fourth-year students Saurabh Kumar of the Civil Engineering Department and Aryan Kumar of the Mechanical Engineering Department. The platform connects labourers, contractors and customers through a technology-driven system designed to simplify hiring and workforce management in the construction sector.
According to the founders, BigBrick has already onboarded more than 2,500 construction workers across Srinagar, Jammu and Katra, enabling direct connections between workers, contractors and customers.
At a time when thousands of labourers across the country still rely on roadside labour markets for daily employment, the startup seeks to introduce transparency, accessibility and organised hiring through digital intervention.
The venture has so far generated revenue of nearly ₹11 lakh and recently received a funding offer at a valuation of ₹3 crore from a Mumbai-based company, along with another investment offer of ₹40 lakh from a separate venture firm. The achievement is being viewed as a rare student-led startup success emerging from Kashmir.
BigBrick has also been incubated and funded by University of Kashmir under the NewGen IEDC initiative and was awarded the “Best Startup Idea” during the IDE Bootcamp for its innovation and market potential.
The core team behind the venture includes Yashas Naidu, Vivek Kumar, Munmun Naresh, Raj Kumar and Vijay Kumar, who contributed significantly to scaling operations and expanding worker outreach.
Director NIT Srinagar, Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia congratulated the students and said the institute remains committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among young minds.
“This achievement reflects the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial potential of our students. Startups like BigBrick demonstrate how technology can be used to address real societal and economic challenges,” he said.
Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Atikur Rehman also appreciated the initiative, saying such ventures inspire students to think beyond conventional career paths.
“It is encouraging to see our students building impactful ventures with real-world applications. Such initiatives not only create employment opportunities but also strengthen the startup ecosystem of the region,” he said.
Speaking about the initiative, Co-Founder Saurabh Kumar said the startup aims to organise the unorganised labour sector through technology and create a transparent system where workers can access employment opportunities with dignity.
“Construction workers are the backbone of infrastructure development, yet a majority of them still depend on informal systems for employment. Through BigBrick, we wanted to build a reliable platform that directly connects workers with contractors and customers,” he said.
Co-Founder Aryan Kumar said the idea emerged from observing the challenges faced by daily wage workers in the construction industry.
“We observed that thousands of skilled labourers still depend on informal roadside hiring systems despite the rapid growth of the digital economy. BigBrick is our effort to bridge that gap by creating a reliable and accessible platform for both workers and contractors,” he said.
