Germany Says India Is Key Source of Skilled Workers
UNITED NATIONS — India has become Germany’s “country of choice” under its country-specific migration policy and is one of its most important sources of skilled workers, a senior German official said.
Florian Laudi, Germany’s commissioner for multilateral affairs, said Thursday that cooperation between India and Germany on migration has reached an unprecedented level and benefits both countries as well as the workers who move between them.
Speaking at an event on “Leveraging Digital Innovation in Migration Governance,” organized by India’s mission to the United Nations, Laudi described the partnership as a “triple win” for Indian workers, Germany’s labor-short economy and India’s surplus labor force.
“The win for the thousands of young Indian workers who came to Germany, I see it on the streets of Berlin every day,” Laudi said.
He said Indian migrants in Germany are generally highly qualified, particularly in science and technology, and that their average incomes are above the German median.
“In 2025 alone, 180,000 Indians have contributed to Germany’s workforce, which is an increase of 656 per cent over the last ten years,” he said.
Laudi said India has become one of Germany’s key political and economic partners, with the two countries sharing interests in freedom, democracy and the rules-based international order. He added that migration cooperation has become one of the defining features of the relationship.
“India is one of our most important partners when it comes to skilled worker migration, as my chancellor [Friedrich Merz] pointed out during his recent visit to India in January this year,” Laudi said.
India and Germany signed the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement in 2022, creating pathways for skilled workers, students and researchers. Laudi said both countries continue to work on easing migration-related processes, including degree recognition and faster, more digital visa procedures.
He said the two countries are also pursuing mutual recognition of professional qualifications and expanding access to German language courses and exams.
Indian students have also become a major presence in German higher education. More than 60,000 Indian students have enrolled in German universities for three consecutive years, making them the largest group of international students in the country, Laudi said.
“More than half of them find employment in Germany after their studies,” he said.
Germany is also attracting Indian workers through its vocational training system. Laudi said nearly 10,000 Indian apprentices are working and receiving training in Germany. (Source: IANS)
