NSDC International plans to widen Japan skilling through six states

Skill ministry arm explores partnerships with six states to expand Japanese language training and prepare youth from smaller towns for overseas employment

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) International, under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is seeking partnerships with Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur for Japanese Language Training Centres (JLTCs), to train youth from smaller towns and rural regions and send them to Japan under international mobility programmes, according to sources in the ministry.

 

JLTCs are authorised training centres that deliver full-time Japanese language and job-readiness programmes for candidates who aim to work in Japan under visa routes such as Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and technical internship programmes. They are run directly by NSDC International or through partners.

 

NSDC International Limited (NSDCI), set up in October 2021, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NSDC and functions under the administrative control of the Skill Ministry. NSDCI aims to widen access and train more people by entering into partnerships with these states.

 

Several Japanese language training centres have been set up by NSDC International, including in Gurugram and at Manipur University.

 

Earlier this week, NSDCI sent off nearly 40 young Indians as part of its effort to fulfil the Human Resource Exchange Action Plan agreed upon by the two nations in August 2025. NSDCI runs programmes spanning eight to nine months, which provide linguistic training along with Japanese workplace etiquette and cultural sensitisation.

 

“Through partnerships like these, we are creating real, life-changing pathways for our youth to build meaningful international careers — and in doing so, to strengthen India’s reputation as a dependable, future-ready partner for global workforce needs,” said Arun Kumar Pillai, chief executive officer at NSDC, at the send-off ceremony.

 

During the India-Japan Annual Summit of 2025, the two countries resolved to promote the efforts of various entities in government, industry and academia to increase the number of skilled personnel and potential talent from India to Japan by 50,000 over the next five years.

 

So far, about 400 candidates have been trained under this initiative, of whom only 185 are currently working in Japan.

 

Japan’s ageing population is straining its labour market, forcing reforms to retirement norms. In 2013, Japan amended the Act on Stabilisation of Employment of Elderly Persons (ASEEP), making it mandatory for companies to offer employment until the age of 65, through a higher retirement age, rehiring or continuous employment schemes. Firms are also encouraged to extend opportunities up to the age of 70.

 

With India’s large population providing opportunities to upskill and send workers abroad, NSDCI is aiming to bridge this gap.