The world is looking to India for talent as more of its leading economies are ageing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope highlighted in New Delhi today the importance of expanding safe and regular pathways for labour mobility and strengthening cooperation on skills recognition and worker protection. Safe, fair labour mobility can make sure everyone gains, and IOM can play a key role in making that happen.
"Walk into a hospital, a building site or a tech company almost anywhere in the world, and there's a good chance you'll meet someone from India," said DG Pope. "The world already runs on Indian talent. Our job is to make sure everyone who leaves home to work does it safely - and comes back stronger."
India has about one billion people of working age. Its median age is 29. Many other countries are ageing fast, and their workforces are shrinking.
About 18.5 million people born in India live abroad. It is the largest diaspora in the world. Around half work in the Gulf. In 2024, India received USD 137.67 billion in remittances from people living and working abroad more than any other country, according to IOM's World Migration Report 2026 . These transfers provide a vital source of money to pay for education, health care and homes for millions of families.
Demand is growing in other places too. In 2024, Indians received one in five European Union Blue Cards for highly skilled workers, more than any other nationality. Germany has raised its yearly quota of skilled-worker visas for Indians from 20,000 to 90,000.
India has built a growing network of migration and mobility partnerships and labour mobility arrangements with partner countries. Building on this architecture, IOM can support government efforts to connect labour-market demand in destination countries with talent across India.
India has already built an ambitious network of mobility partnerships," said DG Pope. "The opportunity now is to deepen their impact so that a young Indian nurse can have her skills recognized and access a job abroad fairly and safely."
India has put important systems in place. Its e-Migrate platform regulates overseas recruitment and has issued more than five million clearances. Workers get training before they leave, and support if they face a crisis abroad.
Labour mobility also takes place within India, as people move between states and regions in search of work, skills development and economic opportunity. Ensuring fair recruitment, decent working conditions and access to protection for workers on the move is important both within India and across international borders.
IOM can help advance these efforts. It works with the Government, destination countries, employers and workers, so that everyone benefits. IOM helps employers and recruiters hire ethically, so that workers don't have to pay fees to get a job. Reducing recruitment and money-transfer costs can help ensure that more of the benefits of migration reach workers and their families.
IOM also supports cooperation with destination countries for the recognition of Indian skills, while helping workers know their rights, prepare for life abroad and look after their well-being. This way, we maximize diaspora contributions, migrants' skills and returnees' experience to support investment and economic development.
As fake job offers online lure people, including Indian nationals, into scam centres and forced labour abroad, IOM works to protect people from harm. IOM works with governments to raise awareness, identify and support victims of trafficking, and help them return home safely. IOM also uses data and technology to understand how climate change affects where people live and work, helping communities prepare and adapt.
"If a job offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is," said DG Pope. "No one should lose their savings, or their freedom, chasing a dream job."
"Safe migration is a team effort," she added. "Governments set the rules, employers play fair, and IOM makes sure no worker is left on their own. When everyone does their part, the worker wins, the family wins, and so do the countries on both ends."
This is DG Pope's first visit to India as Director General. During the visit, she met Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje. They discussed advancing skills recognition and worker protection.
India has been an IOM Member State since 2008.
