The Role of Refugees in the Amelioration of Delhi's Economy

The refugee migration is rightly attributed to the partition of India on 15 of August, 1947. The partition resulted in some 47.5 lakh (4.75 million) refugees migrating to India and of these, 4,95,391 descending on Delhi. During the 60 years of the post-Independence period, Delhi's trajectory has been heavily influenced by the refugees' significant role in transforming the social, economic and physical landscape of Delhi. The coming in of multiplexes, malls, coffee shops and proliferation of brand name outlets coupled with the gentrification of Karol Bagh and West Patel Nagar along with the steep rise in Local markets like South Extension and fancy developer enclaves, it was all brought about by the steep rise in the disposable income of the refugees who were out to reinvent.. If Delhi today is the Queen of retail, then the role of refugees in its exaltation to this enviable position can, by no stretch of imagination, be underplayed.