Real Kashmir's journey started after floods devastated the region in 2014. Two local friends saw the community struggling to cope and wanted to help. To give the youths an alternative outlet, Chattoo and Meraj bought footballs for the local area. Soon, everyone wanted to play, and an official team "Real Kashmir FC" was created in 2016. They entered I-League's 2nd division for the 2016-17 season and went on to win the league in the following year - securing a promotion to the top flight I-League. The nationwide division shares top-flight status with the Indian Super League (ISL), with the eventual winner qualifying for the Asian Champions League (AFC).