NEW DELHI: The international employment landscape for Indian workers remains strong, with sustained hiring across regions, as many as 3 million Indian workers expected to get employment opportunities from seven key countries by 2030, according to an analysis by the Union labour ministry.
Among the seven countries – Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Japan, Germany, Australia, and Finland– surveyed, Saudi Arabia (SA) holds the highest employment potential for Indians, and is likely to provide opportunity to more than 2 million of the country’s workers in the next 5-10 years, the ministry noted in a report reviewed by FE. This is a higher pace than annual addition of about 200,000 Indian workers by the West Asian kingdom. There is strong demand from SA for workers in construction, retail, transportation & storage, healthcare, said an official
The labour ministry in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is building a framework on mutual recognition of skills and qualifications for facilitation of international mobility of Indian labour, senior officials told FE.
Oman too is hiring largely in engineering, logistics, and infrastructure development; and Qatar in hospitality, aviation, and sporting-event related industries. Japan needs Indian workers in the nursing, hospitality, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, and Germany in the automotive mechanics, healthcare, transportation, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) sectors.
Germany is seeking around 200,000-300,000 Indian workers in the next five years. According to the German Economic Institute (IW), Germany will have a shortage of 7 million skilled workers by 2035.
The officials said that while full-time jobs continue to be the preferred mode of employment, there is a clear trend towards contractual and project-based hiring for Indian workers. “The Middle East remains the largest market, though new opportunities are emerging in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia,” said an official.
Australia is seeking workers for the role of nurses, software programmers, and construction workers. And Finland is offering opportunities in healthcare, information technology, education, and manufacturing sectors.
For its analysis, the labour ministry has also referred to data available on the National Career Service (NCS) portal. As per the NCS, the United Arab Emirates continues to be the top destination for Indian workers, with a strong demand driven by ongoing investments in infrastructure, tourism, and services. Following the UAE, Israel has emerged as a significant employer of Indian workers, particularly in 2023-24, an official said.
“As companies continue to emphasize technical and vocational skills, it becomes increasingly important for job seekers to enhance their qualifications through industry-relevant training,” an official said, adding that India’s workforce remains “highly sought-after globally”.
“Continued investments in skilling and professional training will further strengthen its position in the international job market,” the person said.
Besides the seven countries, job postings have emerged in Turkey, South Africa, Kuwait, Guyana, Canada and Malaysia, indicating a growing footprint for Indian workers across continents, said another official.
The analysis further revealed that for the external job opportunities, semi-skilled labour is in high demand, with an increasing need for ITI (industrial training institutes), diploma, and graduate-level professionals.
The rise in demand for diploma holders after both 10th and 12th grade suggests that recruiters prefer candidates with specialized technical skills rather than general academic qualifications, an official noted.
Over 500 recruitment agencies, registered with the Ministry of External Affairs, are responsible for facilitating the movement of Indian workers to high-demand regions, ensuring a steady flow of employment opportunities, the person said.
Currently in Oman, there are about 530,000 Indian workers; in Qatar about, 900,000; in Japan, close to 45,000; and around 150,000 in Germany.
Source: The Financial Express
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