India and Japan to facilitate movement of 5 lakh professionals by 2030
The plan seeks to address Japan’s shrinking workforce while providing opportunities for India’s growing pool of skilled professionals.
ADVERTISEMENT
India and Japan have launched an ambitious Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation, aiming to enable the cross-border movement of more than 500,000 professionals by 2030. The announcement was made during the India–Japan Annual Summit 2025, where both prime ministers underlined the importance of people-to-people ties as a foundation for strategic partnership.
The initiative will be jointly overseen by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from ongoing bilateral dialogues in education, skill development, science and technology, and the digital economy, as reported by People Matters.
Bridging talent and demographic needs The plan seeks to address Japan’s shrinking workforce while providing opportunities for India’s growing pool of skilled professionals. It will strengthen industry–academia partnerships, encourage youth mobility, and foster joint research and innovation. A key goal is to close perception gaps, making Japan a more attractive destination for Indian talent.
Focus areas
Japan will welcome Indian engineers and academic experts, particularly in semiconductors, AI and advanced manufacturing. Measures include:
Special missions by Japanese companies to Indian universities.
Surveys and success stories to smooth employment pathways.
Expansion of the JET Programme to include Indian English-language assistants.
Student mobility will also expand under frameworks such as the MEXT–India Education Dialogue, Sakura Science Exchange, MIRAI-Setu and the LOTUS Programme. These will open opportunities for internships, research, STEM exposure and scholarships.
On the workforce side, India will scale up its participation in Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), creating wider avenues for skilled migration.
Skill development and cultural cooperation Both nations will collaborate on subsidised vocational training through the INPACT programme, as well as initiatives like the India–Japan Talent Bridge for internships and job matching. Support from Indian state governments and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will bolster placement pipelines. The plan also includes establishing Centres of Excellence in Yoga and Ayurveda in Japan, reflecting the cultural dimension of the partnership.
With Japan grappling with a demographic challenge and India nurturing a vast reservoir of young professionals, the HR exchange plan is being positioned as a “win-win” model for economic growth, cultural diplomacy and innovation-driven leadership.
