India launches GATI Foundation to tap global demand for skilled workers

As the demand for skilled Indian workers is rising in diverse geographies, the initiative backed by The Convergence Foundation, Manish Sabharwal (Vice-Chairman, TeamLease Services), and the Godrej Foundation, was unveiled in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary, Business Standard reported.

The launch event was attended by diplomats, government officials, corporate leaders and think tank representatives.

Dr Jaishankar said India was aligning its workforce strategy to meet global requirements for skilled and semi-skilled talent. “There is a demand in the world and availability in India,” he said.

Noting that about 34 million people of Indian origin currently live and work abroad, Jaishankar said the potential to widen this footprint was "very real" in the near term.

He cited discussions with countries such as Japan — where talks are underway for structured migration under the Special Skilled Workers agreement — and Germany, which is keen to hire Indian workers in critical sectors.

Italy, Spain, Austria and Greece are also expanding interest in recruiting Indian workers across industries, he added.

India has already signed migration and mobility partnerships or specific worker agreements with 52 countries.

Jaishankar pointed to ongoing labour flows to the UAE, Mauritius and Malaysia, and noted Singapore’s increasing recruitment of Indian professionals.

However, he cautioned that migration must be well-coordinated and strictly legal.

“Legal pathways must be promoted, and irregular migration must be discouraged firmly,” he said, adding that the black economy surrounding illegal migration harmed both workers and national interests.

As outbound migration rises, Jaishankar said the government must step up its support infrastructure.

“As more Indians move abroad, their expectations of government support will grow,” he noted, referring to past issues like wage theft, document loss and unfair work conditions, according to the report.

Efforts are underway to bolster grievance redressal systems, emergency support funds, and community support networks for Indians overseas.

The GATI Foundation will work with a wide network of public and private actors to develop scalable, ethical migration models.

Its advisory board includes former Labour Secretary Arti Ahuja, Indo-Pacific Advisory CEO Nihal Chauhan, and Shriya Sethi from The Convergence Foundation.

Ashish Dhawan, CEO of The Convergence Foundation, said India currently sends about 700,000 workers abroad each year — 60% of them to Gulf countries, the Business Standard report said.

With broader destinations and diversified job roles, he said this number could increase to 2–2.5 million annually, potentially pushing remittances up to $300 billion.

Manish Sabharwal added that ethical and regulated migration was the need of the hour.

Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary stressed the need to align India’s skilling efforts with evolving global needs, especially in the face of disruptive technologies.

Godrej Foundation CEO Omar Momin pointed out that labour mobility can transform lives. “In many cases, a worker can earn ten times more just by crossing a border,” he said.