External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said that there is a strong global demand for talent and India is well-positioned to meet it. While speaking at the launch of Global Access to Talent from India (GATI) in New Delhi today, Dr Jaishankar said, there must be more focus on opportunities abroad due to the emergence of a global workplace and workforce. He said the change is driven by demographic shifts, new technology demands, cultural and work ethic compatibility, and the emphasis on trust and resilience. He said these trends stem from evolving social habits, creative product deployment, strategic competition among powers, and insecurities from the COVID experience. The Minister said, the government 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 is so large that it takes of national approach to be fully realised. Dr Jaishankar said, This is an effort in which the contribution of every stakeholder is valuable and welcomed.

Mentioning that there are currently about 34 million Indians and Persons of Indian origin (PIOs) living and working abroad, Mr Jaishankar said that one-third of them are located in the Gulf and the rest of them are spread across other geographies, mostly in developed economies. Mr Jaishankar noted that many global professions like seafaring, airlines and the hospitality sector have already tapped into our human resources pool to a significant level. He added that Economies like Australia or Germany have seen a significant increase in working Indians in the last few years. He emphasised that due to inadequate availability of talent, the world has witnessed a slowdown in semiconductor and emerging technology projects. He further mentioned that global service sectors like shipping, airlines and hospitality are today struggling with post-COVID challenges, which opens up new opportunities for countries like India.