The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Friday convened an India-Japan Stakeholder Consultation on Skill Development in New Delhi to strengthen cooperation on skilling, employment and workforce mobility between the two countries.
The discussions focused on implementing the Action Plan for India-Japan Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation, jointly released during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit in 2025. Key areas included industry-relevant training, Japanese language and cultural preparation, recognised assessments, employer engagement and coordination among government institutions, training organisations and industry.
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said Indian youth must be equipped with the skills, confidence and preparation required to access global employment opportunities.
He said the partnership with Japan presented an opportunity to develop structured overseas employment pathways with strong industry participation, combining technical skills, language proficiency and workplace understanding.
Japanese Ambassador to India Ono Keiichi said India and Japan have complementary strengths, with Japan’s growing demand for skilled workers matching India’s large pool of young talent. He emphasised the importance of skills development, Japanese language training and reliable employment pathways to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said the Action Plan provided a clear direction and that the immediate priority was coordinated implementation among all stakeholders. She stressed the need to align candidate mobilisation, domain skills, language training, assessment systems, pre-departure preparation and employer requirements.
The consultation included representatives from MSDE institutions, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), state skill and labour departments, state recruitment agencies and empanelled Sending Organisations under the Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) framework.
Japanese participants included representatives from the Embassy of Japan, Japan Foundation, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan International Trainee and Skilled Worker Cooperation Organization, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Representatives of Japanese companies and employers, including Zenken Corporation, Sompo Care, Fourth Valley, Konoike Group and Toyota Kirloskar, also participated.
The consultation was organised around three sessions. The first examined skilling pathways under the Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programme and the upcoming Employment for Skill Development Programme (ESDP), with discussions on implementation structures and ESDP readiness.
The second session focused on the Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation, including expansion of Japanese language training, sector-specific curricula, assessment access and coordination among the Centre, states, industry and training institutions.
The third session brought Japanese recruitment companies and employers into direct discussions with Indian stakeholders. Participants discussed occupational skills, language proficiency, workplace readiness and candidate support, with an emphasis on aligning training with current industry requirements in Japan.
A key outcome of the consultation was the proposed development of a roadmap for skilling Indian workers for Japanese requirements. The roadmap is expected to provide greater clarity on the ESDP pathway and its convergence with existing programmes such as TITP and SSW.
It will cover candidate mobilisation, technical and domain training, Japanese language and cultural preparation, assessment systems, employer engagement and pre-departure readiness.
The stakeholders also identified the need to expand Japanese language training, strengthen assessment infrastructure, improve awareness of verified employment pathways and enhance coordination among states, Sending Organisations, training institutions and industry.
The proposed roadmap will set out short-, medium- and long-term actions, assign responsibilities among ministries, state governments, implementing agencies, training institutions and industry, and establish measurable milestones and a structured mechanism for monitoring and review.
The consultation is aimed at translating the India-Japan human resource cooperation framework into coordinated action and creating more effective, industry-aligned workforce pathways for Indian youth seeking employment opportunities in Japan.
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