The European Union (EU) has launched an office in New Delhi to help connect Indian talent in the information and communication technology (ICT) across all 27 EU member countries. According to EU, the European Legal Gateway office will be a one-stop hub to support Indian talent planning to move to Europe aligning them with the needs and policies of the member countries.
The local office is going to support Indian students, researchers, and professionals in the ICT sector by providing clear and reliable information on mobility pathways and various skills and qualification requirements of different EU countries. Further, it will also assist EU-based employers and higher education institutions to engage with the Indian talent.
This will be in addition to the recently-launched EU Talent Pool platform which is designed to connect employers in EU member countries with skilled workers in non-EU countries to address labour shortages.
Beyond Paperwork
As per officials, the office will facilitate intra-corporate transfers, business travel, guidance on visas, and connect Indian IT employees with the top 200 employers in major hubs such as London, Paris, Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam and Stockholm.
Strategic Mobility
At the time of signing EU FTA, prime minister Narendra Modi had said that alongside the ambitious FTA, we are also creating a new framework for mobility. “For Indian students, workers and professionals, this will open up new opportunities in the EU,” Modi said.
Experts said a dedicated platform will significantly improve the current mobility scenario which is with fraught with tedious paperwork, unclear pathways and administrative barriers.
“Even top talent and highly-qualified individuals often face difficulties due to different laws governing EU member states. The availability of a single window can make a positive change in giving professionals, students and researchers a lot of clarity and certainty that they have been missing,” said Kamal Chhabra, founder & CEO of KC GlobEd.
“In the long run, this initiative will help in establishing talent ties between India and Europe, encouraging closer collaboration and organised workforce exchanges between the two regions,” said a student mobility expert.