If the US shuts its visa door, Europe may just leave a window open. As America turns inward, is Europe and rest of the world, stepping up to woo Indian talent?
The Global Access to Talent from India (GATI) Foundation was launched on May 6 at The Oberoi, New Delhi, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar as Chief Guest and Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary as Guest of Honour. Incubated by Ashish Dhawan (The Convergence Foundation), Manish Sabharwal (TeamLease), and Omar Momin (Godrej Foundation), GATI is a non-profit aiming to position India as a global hub for skilled talent.
With the world facing a projected shortfall of 45–50 million skilled and semi-skilled workers by 2030, GATI seeks to build structured, ethical, and circular pathways for overseas employment. Its mission: shift the global narrative from “illegal to legal,” “migration to mobility,” and “citizenship to work.”
Backed by pilot programs, government partnerships, and private players, GATI plans to strengthen institutional capacity, energise international mobility startups, and test skilling and financing innovations.
As Dr. Jaishankar put it, “There is global demand and Indian availability. GATI’s work can bridge that.”
The demand is clear:
- Germany needs 500,000 skilled workers. “We need the right people and reliable partners,” said Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann, noting hospitals from Germany already recruit nurses from Kerala.
- Italy faces a shortage of 45,000 doctors, 65,000 nurses, and 280,000 technicians, according to Ambassador Antonio Bartoli.
- Japan seeks IT professionals, caregivers from the Northeast, and workers across agriculture, hospitality, and transport, noted Ambassador Ono Keiichi.
- The EU stressed the need for streamlined, country-specific visa processes and language readiness, said Dr. Ewa Suwara.
Founders underscored the urgency and opportunity:
“Nearly 700,000 Indians migrate overseas yearly, 60% to the GCC. We can scale this to 2–2.5 million and diversify markets,” said Ashish Dhawan.
“Migration isn’t just policy—it’s prosperity,” said Manish Sabharwal, stressing the need for safe, legal, temporary migration channels.
“Mobility can be transformative,” added Omar Momin, highlighting the economic uplift when workers earn 10x abroad.
As high-income countries seek skilled talent, India may hold the answer. With the right ecosystem, the world’s workforce could have “Made in India” stamped all over it.
