Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain need foreign workers; India is the answer

Rising labour shortages across Europe, Japan, the Gulf and other countries are driving demand for skilled Indian workers, with countries including Italy, Spain, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the UAE actively looking to expand recruitment. In response, the Global Access to Talent from India (GATI) Foundation was launched on Tuesday at an event in New Delhi.

 

The initiative, backed by The Convergence Foundation, Manish Sabharwal (Vice Chairman at TeamLease Services), and the Godrej Foundation, was introduced in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary. The event was attended by foreign ambassadors, government officials, business leaders and representatives from think tanks.

 

 

Structured pathways for overseas employment

 

Dr Jaishankar said India was preparing to meet the rising international demand for skilled and semi-skilled workers. “There is a demand in the world and availability in India,” he said.

 

Speaking about migration trends, Jaishankar pointed out that around 34 million people of Indian origin currently live and work abroad. “Given current global trends, the potential to expand this footprint even in the near term is very real,” he said.

 

He outlined recent discussions with other countries to create more legal migration pathways. “Just yesterday, the Japanese ambassador and I discussed an action plan to create a predictable and concrete flow of Indian talent into Japan under our Special Skilled Workers agreement,” said Jaishankar.

 

He added that Germany, during Chancellor Scholz’s visit in October 2024, expressed interest in increasing Indian employment in critical sectors. Countries such as Italy, Spain, Austria and Greece are also seeking Indian workers across different industries, he said.

 

Government plans and existing agreements

 

India has signed migration and mobility partnerships or specialised worker agreements with 52 countries. Jaishankar mentioned ongoing worker movements to the UAE, Mauritius and Malaysia, as well as Singapore’s growing intake of Indian professionals.

 

However, he warned that matching workers to opportunities required better coordination. “Legal pathways must be promoted, and irregular migration must be discouraged firmly,” he said.

 

He added that illegal migration harmed both individuals and national interests. “A black economy in migration undermines both individuals and nations,” said Jaishankar.

 

Institutional support for overseas workers

 

Jaishankar said government support structures needed to expand in step with growing migration. “As more Indians move abroad, their expectations of government support will grow,” he said.

 

He cited past experiences including evacuations, cases of wage theft, unfair employment practices and loss of documentation. Efforts are underway to strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms, create responsive support funds, and build community support structures overseas.

 

Scaling up migration numbers

 

Ashish Dhawan, CEO of The Convergence Foundation, said India currently sends around 700,000 workers abroad annually, with 60% going to GCC nations. “We can scale this up to 2–2.5 million by diversifying roles and destinations, potentially raising remittances to \$300 billion,” said Dhawan.

 

Manish Sabharwal, Vice-Chairman of TeamLease Services, said legal and safe migration could ease global labour shortages and economic pressures. “This is an idea whose time has come,” he said.

 

Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said India needed to make its skilling strategy more responsive to global demand. “In an era of disruptive technologies, our response must be global and inclusive,” he said.

 

Omar Momin, CEO of the Godrej Foundation, said labour mobility offered an economic and developmental opportunity. “In many cases, a worker can earn ten times more just by crossing a border,” he said.

 

Next steps for GATI

 

The GATI Foundation will work with an Advisory Board and a network of public and private stakeholders to build scalable and ethical migration models. Board members include former Labour Secretary Arti Ahuja, Indo-Pacific Advisory CEO Nihal Chauhan, and Shriya Sethi from The Convergence Foundation.