Three weeks ago, on July 22, a Gurugram resident posted a thread on Reddit with a simple but pointed observation, "Maids and cooks have vanished suddenly from Gurugram, what's going on?"
The user, based in Ardee City, Sector 52, said the area already had its fair share of complaints (on Reddit): "Roads, sewage, parks, bad builders, power issues." Despite these, many people, especially Gen Z professionals and those relocating for work, chose Sector 52 and other similar sectors for their prime location and connectivity to major company headquarters. But now, they are facing a new crisis - no or overpriced household help.
Why Are They Leaving
In mid-July 2025, Gurugram police began an extensive verification drive aimed at identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Four community centres - in Sectors 40, 10A, Badshahpur, and Manesar - were converted into holding facilities.
Raids followed, focused on Bengali-speaking migrants working as maids, cooks, construction labourers, waste collectors, and delivery workers, particularly in informal settlements around upscale localities.
Now, while the scale of the crackdown was massive, the results show a striking mismatch between detentions and actual confirmed illegal immigrants, according to various press reports.
A Hindustan Times report says that the verification drive in Gurugram has resulted in over 250 migrant workers being detained and subsequently released after document verification. According to Gurugram Police PRO Sandeep Kumar, out of the 250+ individuals picked up during the operation, only 10 were identified as illegal immigrants who remain in custody and are scheduled to be sent back to their native places.
The drive involved establishing four makeshift detention centers across the city, with those released having valid Indian documentation including Aadhaar cards and other identity documents.
A Mass Exodus
These raids and crackdown has led to fear that has spread to people far beyond those detained. Within a week of the crackdown, about 4,000 residents fled from the Bengali Market area near South City alone. In some settlements, 400 out of 500 migrant workers left, leaving markets, construction sites, and service-based communities deserted, according to media reports.
Even those with valid Indian documents have left; many travelling at night to avoid police checks.
The migration has created severe service disruptions:
- Garbage is piling up in several sectors as most Bengali-speaking sanitation workers stop reporting to duty
- Shortage of maids, cooks, and cleaners across Delhi-NCR, with salaries rising sharply
- Projects stalled due to lack of labour
- Children from migrant families unable to attend school after fleeing
- For households that once relied on affordable daily help, the situation is causing both logistical and financial strain for the people of Gurugram.
The Road Ahead
With only a fraction of detainees confirmed as undocumented immigrants, but thousands of workers already gone, Gurugram faces a prolonged shortage of essential service workers.
The ripple effect, from uncollected garbage to rising costs for household help, shows no sign of easing soon.
For residents living and surviving in Gurugram, the crisis is not just about missing maids or cooks; it's about the daily rhythm of the city grinding to a halt. To solve this issues, it seems like various startups are now offering a way out for residents of Gurugram, with the concept of 'Insta Help'.
Instant Help
The exodus has coincided with the arrival of several start-up companies like Urban Company, Promoto, and Snabbit, each bringing their latest innovation to the domestic help sector. These companies promise the delivery of household help within 15 minutes. Users can book workers for tasks such as:
- Utensil cleaning and dishwashing
- Sweeping and mopping
- Basic cooking preparation
- General household cleaning
Urban Company, the major player in this segment, launched these services as a pilot project in Mumbai in March 2025. As of August 2025, this service has been rolled out for selective users acorss the country. While the rollout remains focused on Mumbai, it is already creating significant buzz in Delhi and the Delhi-NCR region, where the shortage of domestic help is becoming more evident.
We tried our hands on the Promoto app, and found that basic cleaning might cost you around Rs 500.
Photo: Author
Snabbit, another similar app, has recently been launched in Gurugram. Pronto, on the other hand, is also gaining traction in the city, particularly for one-time services, as it charges comparatively less, according to Vaibhavee.
Urban Company's Insta Help in Delhi NCR.
Reddit is also filled with users recommending apps like these, with Gurugram residents encouraging one another to try them out. For instance, a Reddit user shared how he found his househelp through 'Snabbit'. He posted this comment under the thread titled "Gurgaon Maid Crisis".
Bottomline
In the end, Gurugram's shortage of maids, cooks, and sanitation workers is more than an inconvenience - it's a sign of how deeply the city's daily life depends on migrant labour.
The crackdown has emptied neighbourhoods, left essential services in limbo, and driven up costs for residents. While start-ups promising "help in 15 minutes" are stepping in to fill the gap, they are still far from replacing the stability and familiarity of long-term domestic staff.
Until the dust settles on the verification drive and trust is restored, both workers and employers remain caught in a cycle of uncertainty.