India, Japan discuss roadmap to expand skilled workforce mobility
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on Friday convened an India-Japan stakeholder consultation here on Friday to advance the Action Plan for India-Japan Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation and to prepare Indian youth for employment opportunities in Japan.
The meeting focused on industry-relevant training, Japanese language and cultural preparation, recognised assessments, stronger employer engagement and closer institutional coordination between countries, the statement from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said.
The event drew officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, state governments and sending organisations, alongside Japanese government and industry representatives, recruitment agents and training partners to strengthen cooperation on skill development and workforce mobility.
The programme also featured an audio-visual presentation highlighting the experiences of Indian candidates trained and employed in Japan, showcasing the tangible outcomes of existing cooperation frameworks.
“India’s young people must be enabled to access global opportunities with the right skills, confidence and preparation. The focus must not be only on creating overseas employment pathways but ensuring that every candidate is equipped with relevant technical skills, language ability and workplace understanding," said Jayant Chaudhary, MoS, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
He noted that the partnership with Japan offers an opportunity to build structured pathways with strong industry participation, and said the discussions would help translate intent into clear action for expanding opportunities for Indian youth.
“Japan and India possess complementary strengths, with Japan’s growing demand for skilled human resources aligning with India’s large pool of young talent," said H.E. Mr. Ono Keiichi, Ambassador of Japan to India.
He welcomed MSDE’s efforts to bring together government, industry and training institutions for practical cooperation that strengthens economic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, highlighted the need for alignment between candidate mobilisation, domain skills, language training, assessment systems, pre-departure preparation and employer demand.
She noted that the consultation helped clarify responsibilities across ministries, states, training institutions, sending organisations and industry.
