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India's Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship convened a multi-stakeholder consultation in New Delhi on 14 August to advance the Action Plan for India‑Japan Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation, with the immediate goal of preparing Indian youth for employment in Japan.
Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary urged domestic and international stakeholders to bridge institutional gaps, develop innovative funding pathways, and build seamless procedural equivalence to fulfil the target of sending 50,000 skilled Indian workers to Japan.
Chaudhary emphasised that while cultural affinity exists between the two nations, government-to-government mobility channels still need to overcome procedural hurdles to match the scale of India's demographic dividend with Japan's workforce needs.
The meeting focused on industry-relevant training, Japanese language and cultural preparation, recognised assessments, stronger employer engagement and closer institutional coordination 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.
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.
Chaudhary concluded by urging regular institutional consultations to convert bilateral agreements into tangible mobility outcomes, warning that a roadmap holds no value until every stakeholder understands and takes ownership of it.
