India has a lot of people working in other countries in different jobs like healthcare, construction, IT, farming, and finance. The World Economic Forum says that by 2025, there will be a need for 97 million new jobs around the world.
Because India has the most young people, it can provide skilled workers to fill those jobs. To help young Indians get the skills they need, the government is working to create a skilled workforce that meets international standards.
Some programs started by the Modi government to help skilled workers find jobs in other countries:
Skill India International Centres (SIICs)
The Indian government has set up Skill India International Centres to make Indian workers more employable around the world. These centers offer training that matches the standards of industries in other countries, focusing on jobs that are in high demand. Right now, there are two centers in Varanasi and Bhubaneswar, and five more are being planned. The centers provide special courses, international certifications, and training to prepare workers before they go abroad. This is part of the government’s plan to make India a major source of skilled workers for the world, meeting the need for 3.58 million workers in 16 countries over the next five years34.
Pre-Departure Orientation Training (PDOT)
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship are working together on the Pre-Departure Orientation Training program13. This is a free 8-hour course that started in 2018 to get workers ready for living and working in another country13. It teaches them about the local culture, laws, and support systems in those countries13. The goal is to help Indian workers adjust more easily to working abroad and avoid problems. PDOT centers have been opened in cities like Chennai, Gorakhpur, and Chandigarh1.
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e-Migrate Platform
The e-Migrate platform, run by the Ministry of External Affairs, is a digital system for managing the process of Indian workers going abroad13. It makes the whole process easier, from signing up to finding and hiring workers and getting approval for foreign companies13. It connects job seekers, recruiters, and employers, with over 2,100 recruiting agents and more than 280,000 employers registered13. The platform also has a way for workers to report problems they have while working abroad13. The updated e-Migrate V2.0 is now easier to use and helps create safe and legal job opportunities in other countries13.
International Partnerships and Agreements
The Indian government is actively creating partnerships with other countries to make it easier for skilled workers to move between countries34. The National Skill Development Corporation International (NSDCI) has signed agreements with 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, and Japan34. These agreements help with training, assessment, and hiring services. The government is also working to include skill development in agreements about migration and worker mobility34. These efforts focus on making it easier for young professionals, apprentices, students, and their families to move to other countries, creating a better system for international workers.
Future-Oriented Skill Development Initiatives
To meet the changing need for skilled workers around the world, the Indian government is starting new programs34. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to connect education with job skills by including vocational training from Grade 6 onwards, to have 50% of high school and college students getting vocational training by 202534. The government is also focusing on creating short training programs that are designed for specific countries and using data to predict what skills will be needed in the future34. These efforts are supported by new ways of funding, like skill impact bonds and skill loans, to help people pay for skills training for jobs in other countries.
