MEA to Organise Human Resource Mobility Forum to Expand Overseas Employment Opportunities
New Delhi, 24 June: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will organise a Human Resource Mobility Forum next week with the objective of facilitating smoother international mobility and employment opportunities for India's skilled and semi-skilled workforce.
According to MEA officials, the forum, scheduled to be held on June 30, will focus on Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and Denmark as key partner countries. The event aims to bring together industry representatives, foreign employers, and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation in the field of workforce mobility and overseas employment.
Responding to a query, officials said that most of India's mobility agreements are currently with European countries. These agreements facilitate easier movement for academics, students, trainees, regular tourists, and business professionals. They added that such arrangements also seek to establish mechanisms for the smooth return of individuals residing abroad illegally.
Discussing passport services, officials stated that the Ministry delivered approximately 1.5 crore passport and related services during 2025, including 1.39 crore passports.
They further informed that 14.7 million chip-enabled passports have been issued so far. Owing to recent reforms in passport services, the average processing time for passport issuance in India, excluding police verification, has been reduced to six working days. Applicants now spend less than 45 minutes at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs).
According to ministry officials, there are currently 545 passport service centres operating across the country, compared to only 77 centres a decade ago. This represents a six-fold increase in passport service infrastructure.
Officials noted that around 30 Lok Sabha constituencies currently do not have passport centres. However, this number is expected to decline to fewer than 10 within the next two years. They added that 10 new POPSKs were opened last year and another 10 are planned to be established this year.
The officials also highlighted improvements in international travel access for Indian citizens. They said the number of countries offering visa-free entry to Indians has increased to 27, compared with 11 in 2019. In addition, 47 countries currently provide visa-on-arrival facilities to Indian nationals, while 66 countries offer electronic visa (e-visa) services.
Responding to another question, ministry officials clarified that no passport-related data breach had occurred in connection with Tata Consultancy Services. They emphasized that all passport-related data remains under the control and custody of the Ministry of External Affairs.
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