India and Japan Hold Tokyo Seminar to Boost Skilled Workforce Mobility Partnership

Delivering the keynote address, Ms. Vandana Gurnani, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, highlighted India’s growing role as a reliable and trusted global workforce partner.

India and Japan have taken another important step toward deepening bilateral cooperation in workforce mobility, human resource development, and skill partnerships through a high-level joint seminar held in Tokyo on May 25. The seminar focused on strengthening long-term collaboration between the two countries in skilled workforce exchange and creating structured pathways for employment and talent mobility.

The event was jointly organised by the Embassy of India in Japan and ASEAN ONE Co. Ltd., Japan, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academic institutions, workforce mobility experts, and representatives from major Japanese companies to discuss future cooperation in skill development and labour mobility.

India Positions Itself as Trusted Global Workforce Partner

Delivering the keynote address, Ms. Vandana Gurnani, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, highlighted India's growing role as a reliable and trusted global workforce partner.

She emphasized that India's demographic strength, rapidly expanding skilling ecosystem, and institutional reforms make the country well-positioned to meet the growing workforce requirements of advanced economies such as Japan.

The Secretary underlined the Government of India's commitment to creating transparent, ethical, scalable, and sustainable labour mobility pathways that can support international workforce demands while ensuring protection and empowerment of workers.

Officials stated that India's expanding global workforce engagement is becoming increasingly important as countries facing ageing populations and labour shortages seek skilled manpower across multiple sectors.

High-Level Participation from India and Japan

The seminar witnessed participation from several senior dignitaries and policymakers from both nations, reflecting the strategic importance of India-Japan workforce cooperation.

Prominent attendees included:

• Mr. Yamashita, former Minister of Justice, Japan

• Mr. Ino, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

• Mr. Nakamura, State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

• Mr. Tadashi Maeda, Chairman, Japan Bank for International Cooperation

• Mr. Kengo Otsuka, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan

• Ms. Nagma Mohamed Mallick, Ambassador of India to Japan

The event also included participation from around 250 representatives of leading Japanese companies, including senior executives and human resource managers exploring structured partnerships with India's skilled workforce ecosystem.

India Showcases Large-Scale Skilling Ecosystem

During her address, Ms. Vandana Gurnani elaborated on India's extensive workforce preparation infrastructure, which supports large-scale skill development and employment generation.

She highlighted India's integrated skilling ecosystem comprising:

• Higher education institutions

• Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)

• Apprenticeship programs

• Digital skilling platforms

• Career counselling and employment services

The Secretary also explained India's institutional framework supporting international labour mobility, including:

• The Ministry of External Affairs' eMigrate platform

• National Career Service (NCS) portal

• Model Career Centres

• Skill development initiatives led by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship

• State-level skill development programs and educational institutions

Officials noted that India's growing digital public infrastructure and employment facilitation systems are increasingly helping create transparent and scalable international workforce mobility mechanisms.

Focus on Japanese Language and Sector-Specific Skills

A major focus of the seminar was preparing Indian workers for Japan-specific employment requirements.

Ms. Gurnani stressed the importance of strengthening:

• Japanese language training

• Sector-specific skill development

• Testing and certification infrastructure

• Occupational alignment

• Skill mapping systems

• Ethical recruitment mechanisms

• Institutional collaboration between India and Japan

Experts noted that language proficiency and occupation-specific training are critical for ensuring successful workforce integration in Japan, particularly in sectors experiencing labour shortages.

Growing Opportunities Across Multiple Sectors

Participants identified strong potential for India-Japan cooperation across several sectors facing workforce demand in Japan, including:

• Manufacturing

• Caregiving and healthcare support

• Construction

• Automobile maintenance

• Hospitality and tourism

• Agriculture

• Information Technology and digital services

• Green economy and sustainability sectors

Japan's ageing population and shrinking domestic workforce have increased the country's dependence on skilled foreign manpower in recent years. India, with its large young population and expanding skill base, is increasingly being viewed as an important long-term workforce partner.

Special Messages Highlight Long-Term Vision

The seminar also featured special messages from senior leaders and institutions supporting deeper India-Japan cooperation.

Messages were received from:

• The Prime Minister of Japan

• Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma

• IIT Guwahati leadership

These messages outlined a medium- to long-term vision for proactive India-Japan personnel exchange and workforce collaboration.

The growing role of Indian states and educational institutions in preparing globally skilled manpower aligned with international standards was also highlighted during the discussions.

Assam's FLIGHT Initiative Highlighted

One of the important state-level initiatives discussed during the seminar was Assam Government's "Foreign Language Initiative for Global Talent" (FLIGHT).

The program aims to prepare candidates for international employment opportunities through language training and specialized workforce preparation, particularly for Japan-oriented employment pathways.

Officials noted that such state-led initiatives can play a major role in decentralizing global workforce preparation and increasing participation from different regions of India.

Roadmap for Future Cooperation

As part of the future roadmap, both sides discussed several measures to strengthen workforce mobility cooperation, including:

• Expanding Japanese language and testing centres in India

• Enhancing collaboration between Japanese employers and Indian skilling institutions

• Improving demand visibility from Japanese industries

• Strengthening skill recognition systems

• Aligning occupational standards

• Building trusted and transparent workforce mobility pathways

Participants emphasized the importance of long-term institutional partnerships to ensure sustainable and mutually beneficial labour mobility between the two countries.

Ambitious Vision for People-to-People Partnership

The seminar concluded with remarks by Mr. Toshiaki Nishikawa, Chairman and CEO of ASEAN GROUP Co. Ltd., who stressed the importance of deepening people-to-people ties between India and Japan.

He expressed optimism about future workforce cooperation and shared his vision of facilitating a Japan-India personnel exchange programme involving approximately 50,000 people over the next decade.

Analysts believe such initiatives could significantly strengthen economic relations, cultural exchanges, skill development cooperation, and strategic partnerships between India and Japan in the coming years.

As global demand for skilled manpower continues to rise, India's growing focus on ethical labour mobility, advanced skill development, and international workforce partnerships is expected to play a crucial role in positioning the country as a leading global talent provider.