India and Finland reaffirmed the shared commitment of the two countries to expand cooperation in skill development, strengthen vocational education systems and promote ethical and sustainable workforce mobility during a bilateral meeting on March 5 in New Delhi between the visiting Minister of Employment, Government of Finland, Mr. Matias Marttinen and India’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary along with officials from both the sides.
Both ministers agreed to continue engagement through institutional partnerships and ongoing dialogue to identify priority sectors and practical areas of collaboration.
The discussions recognised the significant complementarities between India’s expanding skilling ecosystem and Finland’s evolving labour market needs, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, construction, green technologies and advanced manufacturing. The two sides emphasised the importance of structured and mutually beneficial mobility frameworks that enable skilled professionals to access global opportunities while ensuring high standards of training, certification and worker welfare.
During the interaction, both ministers noted the importance of strengthening partnerships between vocational education and training institutions of the two countries, promoting knowledge exchange and encouraging industry-led skill development initiatives. They also deliberated on areas such as capacity building of trainers, integration of language training to support international mobility, and the development of pathways that allow learners to combine vocational training with academic qualifications.
The discussion also highlighted the potential for closer collaboration between institutions and industry stakeholders in both countries to align skill standards with emerging global requirements. Both sides expressed interest in exploring mechanisms that could facilitate smoother recognition of vocational qualifications and encourage mobility of skilled professionals in sectors facing workforce shortages.
The Finnish delegation included Ms. Teresa Salminen, Adviser to the Minister; Ms. Sonja Hämäläinen, Director General, Labour Migration and Integration; Ms. Laura Lindeman, Senior Director, Work in Finland; Ms. Liisa Toivonen, Counsellor (Innovation); Mr. Tuomas Vasama, Chief Executive Officer, Works Oy; Ms. Shrestha Sharma, Talent Boost Programme, Business Finland; and Ms. Amanda Hekkala, Embassy of Finland.
The Indian side was represented by Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Shri Nirmaljit Singh Gaba, Member, National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Shri Dilip Kumar, Director General, Directorate General of Training (DGT) and Shri Niranjan Kumar Sudhansu, Additional Secretary, MSDE.
Jayant Chaudhary commenting about the fruitful meeting said: “Under the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, India is steadily moving towards becoming the Global Skill Capital of the world. With one of the youngest and most dynamic workforces, supported by a rapidly expanding skilling ecosystem, India is well positioned to contribute skilled talent to global industries. India’s demographic strength and Finland’s technological and vocational excellence create a natural partnership in the domain of skills. Our discussion focused on building practical bridges between training ecosystems, strengthening institutional cooperation and creating pathways for skilled youth to access global opportunities while maintaining high standards of training and mobility.”
