'Indians abroad need routinised care', says Jaishankar on govt push

Business Standard

06-05-2025

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar outlines India's efforts to support its global workforce, emphasising skill development and institutional mechanisms to assist Indians abroad
Rimjhim Singh New Delhi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has underlined the government's commitment to the welfare of Indian citizens living overseas. Reflecting on the past decade, he highlighted multiple instances where Indian nationals had to be evacuated during crises, reaffirming the state's responsibility towards its diaspora.
Speaking at the Global Access to Talents from India (Gati) event in New Delhi on Tuesday, Jaishankar pointed to a series of initiatives designed to support Indians abroad, particularly in challenging situations.
He outlined institutional mechanisms such as an effective grievance redressal portal and the establishment of a fund aimed at assisting vulnerable citizens. These steps, he said, are part of a broader strategy to provide consistent support for Indians navigating life in foreign countries.
'It is natural that as more Indians travel abroad, that the expectations they have of their government are carried with them,' Jaishankar said. 'The last decade has brought up numerous situations where evacuation operations had to be undertaken. But even as a routine exercise, our citizens legitimately expect to be backed up in difficult situations. It may be a quick replacement of a lost passport.'
He said, 'From establishing an effective grievance portal to creating a responsive fund for the needs of the vulnerable, we have sought to institutionalise and to routinise taking care of Indians abroad. It is only then that they will have the confidence to fully explore the global workplace.'
Equipping indians for a global workforce
He also pointed to domestic efforts aimed at improving the employability of Indian talent worldwide. According to him, the central government has launched multiple programmes to provide skill training, vocational education, and professional preparation tailored to contemporary global demands.
'Our government today has initiated a range of skill training, vocational education and professional preparation efforts for the Indian workforce to be more productive in the contemporary era,' he said. 'However, the magnitude of opportunities before us are so large that it takes a 'whole of the nation approach' to be fully realised. This is an effort in which the contribution of every stakeholder is valuable and welcomed.'
Human capital as a strategic asset
Jaishankar emphasised the growing importance of India's skilled population in shaping the country's international presence. As India moves towards becoming the world's third-largest economy, he said its people would play a central role in global engagement.
'As we contemplate our engagement with the world... our talents and our skills will not only be a resource we have to bring to the table but will be very much part of our branding and of our reputation,' he said. 'A more interdependent and technology-driven world... will only put a greater premium on it. It is up to us to make the most of these times.'
Global demand for Indian talent
Jaishankar also discussed the increasing international need for Indian professionals across multiple sectors. He cited recent discussions with foreign leaders, including Japan's Speaker, who proposed a structured plan to channel Indian talent to his country under the Specialised Skill Workers (SSW) Agreement.
'Let me emphasise that these are not hypothetical possibilities... The need for talent abroad is a situation that is actually upon us today,' Jaishankar said.
Providing a global snapshot, he said, 'Only yesterday... the Speaker of Japan was here to advocate an action plan that would create a concrete and predictable flow of Indian skills to his country... Israel... Mauritius has a similar demand... Malaysia has opened up many more sectors to Indian skills, especially construction.'
He further said, 'The German Chancellor... spoke of increasing the employment Visas for Indians by 4x. My counterparts in Italy... Spain, Austria, and Greece have all shown appetite to tap into our human resources pool... This, I emphasise, is just the tip of the iceberg.'
The minister said that while groundwork for global access to Indian talent has been laid, much depends on how efficiently and ambitiously the opportunity is seized. 'My short point is that there is a demand in the world, an availability in India and the basic groundwork done to enable Indian talent to gain global access is there. Now, how well they do that and what will be the scale — I think that is up to us,' he said.
[With agency inputs]