Standardise documentation for advancing international mobility of skilled workers: Niti
The think tank also recommended standardizing documentation and pre-verification systems.
The Aayog, in a working paper titled ‘Government Framework: Improving International Mobility for Skilled Workers’, also said the government should make liaison arrangements with destination country embassies to support standardized visa application processes of Indian skilled workers.
The document also called for providing structured support for form submission, appointment scheduling, biometric requirements and document compilation.
It was also recommended that the government ensure that all employment contracts are reviewed, recorded and verified prior to visa processing.
The paper also suggested that the government should provide structured support on form submission, appointment scheduling, biometric requirements and document compilation.
Citing data, the newspaper stated that India’s demographic advantage will peak in 2030, which will mark the point at which the demographic advantage reaches its maximum potential.
“Beyond this, the curve begins a downward slope, indicating gradual aging of the population over the long term, leaving a time-dependent window during which India has the largest labor surplus,” he said.
International immigrants now constitute an important and indispensable component of the worldwide labor supply. According to the latest ILO estimates, the global international migrant stock in 2022 was 284.5 million, of which 255.7 million were people of working age (15+).
Of these, 167.7 million immigrants formed part of the global workforce; Of these, 155.6 million were employed, while 12.1 million were unemployed but ready to work. Overall, immigrants made up 4.7 percent of the global workforce in 2022.
The article noted that evidence from the PRAYAS International Migration and Mobility Mapping Report (2026) shows that access to formal skills pathways for overseas employment remains unequal across regions and categories of workers.
According to the article, informal social security for low and semi-skilled workers
While networks such as relatives and friends abroad often serve as the first source of information, 33 percent of aspiring workers rely on private recruiting agencies for job placement, visa processing, and pre-departure orientation; This highlights persistent gaps in accessible and formal education ecosystems.
The article noted that for those wishing to gain the necessary skills to begin working abroad, comprehensive training, including language proficiency, cultural orientation and pre-departure preparation, ensures a smooth transition and adaptation to the requirements of the destination country.
“Such an approach promotes both worker well-being and national economic gains by ensuring international mobility emerges as a result of strong skills ecosystems rather than through a parallel or informal pathway,” he said.
The PRAYAS International Migration and Mobility Mapping Report (2026) shows that migration decisions among India’s skilled and semi-skilled workers continue to be strongly wage-driven, with income differences between India and destination countries being the main pull factor, while poverty, debt and job scarcity serve as push factors.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region remains the traditional target, supported by long-standing labor networks and persistent demand for low- and semi-skilled labour.
But the report also observed that prospects are gradually diversifying, with workers increasingly attracted to developed economies such as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan, attracted by safer environments, long-term career prospects and structured skills development pathways.
