Berlin: In an effort to address the shortage of skilled workers, Germany is all set to implement special initiatives to encourage increased migration from India, revealed Hubertus Heil, the German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.

According to the minister, Germany aims to significantly bridge its skilled labour gap by recruiting professionals from India on a large scale. To facilitate this, the country has devised an expert labour migration framework for Indian nationals, accompanied by 30 newly approved measures. These initiatives focus on streamlining visa processes and improving migration pathways for Indian workers, ensuring smoother integration into the German workforce. This move not only addresses workforce shortages caused by an ageing population but also strengthens the economic ties between Germany and India, contributing to Germany’s long-term economic sustainability.

Germany's decision comes in response to a growing skilled labour crisis, which threatens to derail the European nation's economic growth and development. India, on the other hand, sees around 10 lakh people entering the job market each month.

With the Indian government promoting migration of its labour force, Germany has made the Asian country a key partner for addressing its workforce requirement. As part of this partnership, the German Foreign Office is committed to digitise the visa process to minimise delays, explained Minister Heil. Similarly, the Indian skilled workers will not have to wait for obtaining German visas. Indian workers will also receive training in German language .

The German minister elaborated on the new labour laws in the presence of the Indian Ambassador to Germany. "With 1.4 billion people in India, many are young and entering the labour market. Germany needs skilled workers from India. While German is not as widely spoken as English and the climate may differ from that of the South, Germany offers stability and values social security," the minister noted.

To further attract Indian professionals, Minister Heil is planning a visit to India with a delegation that includes heads of various departments. During his previous visit to India last November, the minister held discussions with NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs) officials as part of his efforts to strengthen this migration partnership.