Speaking on the sidelines of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, NSDC CEO Arun Kumar Pillai said India is actively harmonising its vocational training benchmarks with those of Germany, Japan, Israel and countries in the Middle East to make it easier for Indian workers to qualify for jobs in those markets.
The initiative is led by NSDC International, the body's global arm. It works with overseas partners to bring global skill standards into India's training ecosystem and improve the international mobility of Indian workers.
NSDC is working closely with Germany, Japan, Israel and countries in the Middle East, including on skill verification. The practical implication, Pillai explained, is that workers trained to a specific country's standards would be better placed to seek employment there. An Indian trained to German standards could opt to go to Germany and work, and after learning the language one trained to Japanese standards could similarly go to Japan, he told ANI.
"The whole drive is to improve the quality of standards in the country so that Indian worker can be a global worker," Pillai said.
The push comes as India looks to improve the quality of vocational training at scale and connect its skilling system more closely with international employment opportunities.
Pillai also pointed to growing domestic interest in vocational pathways. Nearly 3.6 lakh people registered for the WorldSkills selection process across India in the current cycle, reflecting growing awareness of vocational skills competitions. Candidates went through state, regional and national-level competitions before the final contingent was selected.
