A joint seminar was held in Tokyo on 25th May 2026 to discuss workforce mobility cooperation between India and Japan
The seminar was organized jointly by the Embassy of India in Japan and ASEAN ONE Co. Ltd., Japan
Ms. Vandana Gurnani, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, delivered the keynote address
The event was attended by approximately 250 representatives of leading Japanese companies
Participants included Japanese policymakers, industry leaders, academic institutions and workforce mobility stakeholders
Japanese dignitaries included: Mr. Yamashita (former Minister of Justice), Mr. Ino (State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry), Mr. Nakamura (State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), Mr. Tadashi Maeda (Chairman, Japan Bank for International Cooperation), Mr. Kengo Otsuka (Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan)
Indian representation included Ms. Nagma Mohamed Mallick, Ambassador of India to Japan
Discussion focused on long-term cooperation in skilled workforce mobility and human resource development
Potential cooperation sectors identified: manufacturing, caregiving, construction, automobile maintenance, hospitality, agriculture, IT and digital services, and emerging green economy sectors
India's skilling ecosystem includes: higher education institutions, Industrial Training Institutes, apprenticeship systems, digital skilling platforms, career services
India's international labour mobility framework includes: Ministry of External Affairs' eMigrate platform, National Career Service platform, Model Career Centres
Need identified for: Japanese language readiness, sector-specific skilling, testing infrastructure, skill mapping, occupational alignment, structured demand aggregation, ethical recruitment practices
Assam Government's Foreign Language Initiative for Global Talent (FLIGHT) was highlighted as a State-led initiative for Japan-oriented pathways
A Japan-India personnel exchange programme target of 50,000 people over the next 10 years was discussed
Special messages were received from the Japanese Prime Minister, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Director of IIT Guwahati
