Archive · 16 Nov 2025
India to Overhaul HR Standards to Boost Talent Mobility in FTAs
Imagine India wants its workers to be able to easily get jobs in other countries, especially as part of new trade deals.
To do this, the government is planning to update how companies in India train their employees and check their skills.
They want these practices to be as good as those in other developed countries.
This is important because when India negotiates trade deals, other countries want to know that Indian workers are well-trained and that companies have good rules for them.
The government is studying how companies in fields like IT, healthcare, and tourism hire and train people.
This will help Indian workers move more smoothly to jobs abroad.
However, some people in the industry think India should create its own unique way of doing things that fits India's specific situation, instead of just copying other countries.
They believe that better training and partnerships between schools and companies are key to making sure Indian workers are ready for jobs.
India is planning to upgrade HR standards in its services sector to align with global norms.
This initiative is linked to ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations where worker mobility is a key issue.
A government-commissioned study will examine hiring, training, and management practices across various service industries.
The goal is to enhance the international competitiveness and cross-border mobility of Indian professionals.
Industry stakeholders advise adapting global HR practices to India's unique context rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Who
- The Indian government, in collaboration with the consumer affairs ministry and industry bodies like the Indian Staffing Federation
- What
- Planning a major overhaul of human resource (HR) standards in the services sector to align with global norms and boost talent mobility.
- When
- Ongoing; a study is planned to be commissioned and completed within 4-5 months.
- Where
- India, with implications for international talent mobility.
- Why
- To make Indian professionals more competitive globally, strengthen India's position in Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, and improve service quality and worker mobility.
Government's Perspective
Industry Concerns
Approach to Global Standards
Government's Perspective
The government aims to align India's HR standards with global norms to enhance the competitiveness of Indian professionals and facilitate easier cross-border movement through FTAs.
Industry Concerns
Industry leaders caution against a one-size-fits-all approach, emphasizing that India's unique ecosystem requires HR frameworks grounded in local realities, addressing informality and skill gaps, rather than simply copying global models.
Focus of HR Reform
Government's Perspective
The reform focuses on upgrading skills certification, employee training, skill recognition, workplace governance, and service quality to strengthen India's negotiating position in trade talks.
Industry Concerns
Industry suggests a stronger focus on industry-academia collaboration, integrating apprenticeships, and developing an India-first BIS model to bridge employability gaps and improve sector productivity and safeguards, rather than solely adopting external frameworks.
- Initiative Focus
- Upgrading human resource standards in India's services sector
- Primary Goal
- Enhance international competitiveness of Indian professionals and facilitate talent mobility in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
- Key Areas of Study
- Skill certification, employee training, recruitment, monitoring, management practices, remote work, and data-sensitive functions
- Industries Covered
- IT, healthcare, finance, tourism, logistics, education, legal, environmental services
- Current FTA Negotiations
- EU, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, ASEAN, among others
- Study Timeline
- 4-5 months after launch (start date not fixed)
- Overall Employment Growth (2017-18 to 2023-24)
- Increased by 168.3 million jobs