Germany’s Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Dr. Philipp Ackermann, has made it clear that the competition for Indian talent will increase in the coming years and Europe is gearing up to attract them.

In a recent tweet, he wrote, “Two ideas on India & Europe: In the coming years, competition for Indian talent will grow, we want them in, FTA would be a game change for our economies.”

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Europe’s interest towards Indian talent

Soon after the US president Donald Trump signed executive order on $100k fee for H-1B visa application, Ackermann welcomed highly-skilled Indians to Germany.

In a video message he said, “This is a good moment to talk about Indians working in Germany,” he began, adding that he said “Indians are amongst the top earners in Germany.” “The average Indian working in Germany earns more than the average German working in Germany. And that’s pretty good news,” he said.

Ackermann added,“Our migration policy works a bit like a German car. It’s reliable, it is modern, it is predictable. It will go in a straight line with no zigzags. And you don’t have to fear a full break at a top speed.”

How FTA could be a game changer?

Ackermann also added the importancea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union, calling it a “game changer” for both economies.

His comments come as India is set to formally implement its trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc on October 1, marking the country’s first-ever trade deal with a European group.

According to the release by Press Information Bureau, the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) is expected to create 1 million direct jobs over the next 15 years.

Increase in number of visas for Indians

Germany has announced a major boost to its work visa program for Indian nationals, raising the annual cap of skilled worker visas from 20,000 to 90,000.

Currently, around 124,000 Indians are employed in Germany, and the policy changes aim to accelerate this growth.

With over 570,000 job vacancies in the German labour market, the visa reforms include simplified application procedures, lower salary requirements, and relaxed language criteria, all of which will help attract more skilled workers from India.