No maids, no cooks: Gurugram's domestic help crisis explained
Since July 2025, Gurugram has faced a major shortage of domestic workers after police started verifying undocumented immigrants, especially Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Suddenly, many homes are struggling without maids and cooks, and garbage collection has slowed down—leaving residents frustrated and social media buzzing.
Families now prefer hiring Hindu workers
To avoid legal trouble, more families now prefer hiring Hindu domestic workers.
This demand spike has pushed cleaning fees from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 and cooking charges to ₹3,500 or more.
Service apps say requests for Hindu workers have gone up along with extra charges for document checks and transport.
Domestic workers are asking for higher pay and benefits
With fewer helpers available, domestic workers are asking for higher pay and benefits like paid holidays.
As one service platform operator noted, customers began explicitly asking for Hindu workers, and in several cases, even Hindu Bengali workers left out of fear.
They had to rope in workers from Chakkarpur, who started asking for more, so prices were raised.
How the situation is affecting daily life
The crunch is making daily routines tougher—especially for women handling chores themselves.
It's also highlighting tensions over religious hiring preferences and legal status.
Some residents have rehired Muslim workers after checking their papers; others stick to only Hindu staff.
The whole situation shows just how much Gurugram depends on this workforce—and how immigration policies can ripple through everyday life.