Maharashtra has launched a Global Workforce Mobility Policy 2026 to prepare its youth for overseas employment through skills, certification and language training, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Monday.
The policy was unveiled at a one-day international conference on labour mobility held at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, jointly organised by the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), the Protocol Department, the Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and the Maharashtra Agency for Holistic International Mobility and Advancement (MAHIMA). Fadnavis directed officials to create country-specific “Skill Passports,” update curricula across Industrial Training Institutes and training centres, and establish safe recruitment mechanisms for overseas jobs.
Fadnavis said shifting global demographics and ageing populations in developed nations have raised demand for skilled workers, and that India’s youth are placed to meet it through what he described as “circular talent mobility.” Citing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, he said nearly 170 million new jobs will be created globally by 2030 while about 92 million will be displaced. India has already signed labour mobility agreements with around 28 countries, where demand is concentrated in engineering, healthcare and construction.
The policy framework prioritises skill development, demand-aligned training, language instruction, certification, documentation assistance and pre-departure orientation, and it commits the government to reintegrating skilled professionals returning from abroad with local industry. In collaboration with the central government’s Digital India initiative, the state has signed a memorandum of understanding to support overseas placements and remove language barriers, with free foreign and professional language training delivered through translation technology to students at ITIs and technical colleges.
Protocol Minister Jaykumar Rawal said international labour mobility is not merely the migration of human resources but an economic partnership that links skills, investment, Indian expatriates and the global market.
The launch builds on the state’s earlier approval of MAHIMA in February 2026 as a dedicated agency for overseas employment, and it runs alongside Maharashtra’s push to expand its global capability centre base.
