KUALA LUMPUR - A study by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting found that only 0.8% of India’s government-recognized sending organizations currently handle Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program.

Among the 2,446 recruitment agencies registered with the Indian government, only a small fraction are involved in sending workers to Japan.

Although the current scale of labor migration from India to Japan remains limited, the study suggests that migration routes may expand in the future.

As of the end of October 2025, Japan had about 2.57 million foreign workers. 

Most of them come from countries such as Vietnam, China, and the Philippines, while India is still considered a relatively new sending country.

In fact, the number of Indian workers in Japan remains small.

Around 1,700 Indians are employed under the combined Specified Skilled Worker and Technical Intern Training Programs, with more than half working in the caregiving sector.

At the same time, attention is growing toward India as a source of highly skilled talent, particularly in the IT sector.

As demand for expertise in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and semiconductors increases, Japanese companies are actively recruiting highly skilled foreign professionals, including engineers capable of system design and innovation-driven science graduates.

In 2025, Japan and India also launched the Japan-India Human Resource Exchange Initiative, aiming to promote the exchange of 500,000 people over five years. 

The plan includes sending 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled Indian workers to Japan.

India, with a population of about 1.4 billion, represents one of the world’s largest potential labor sources.

While India’s presence in Japan’s labor market remains limited for now, policymakers and businesses are increasingly viewing the country as a potential long-term source of workers.