The Global Skills Mobility Association of India (GSMAI) has announced the appointment of Ajay Khanna, Founder of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI), as its Founding Chair, marking a significant step in advancing India's vision of becoming a trusted global talent partner.
The newly established association aims to strengthen India's role in addressing global workforce shortages through ethical, transparent, and well-governed mobility pathways while promoting the welfare and rights of skilled professionals seeking opportunities abroad.
In a LinkedIn post, Ajay Khanna wrote, "The opportunity before India is significant. Overseas remittances of over US$130 billion annually have become the country's largest source of foreign exchange earnings, reflecting the immense contribution of Indians working and creating value across the world. As many economies face growing workforce shortages and demographic shifts, India is uniquely positioned to help bridge global talent gaps through trusted, ethical, and well-governed mobility pathways."
He added, "In establishing the Global Skills Mobility Association of India (GSMAI), we are guided by a simple but powerful belief: India can become the world's most trusted source of skilled talent, while ensuring that global mobility is built on the highest standards of ethics, transparency, worker welfare, and responsible recruitment."
GSMAI has been founded with the objective of creating a robust institutional framework that supports responsible international workforce mobility and enhances India's standing as a reliable source of skilled talent for global markets.
Highlighting the association's long-term vision, Khanna wrote, "Together with our founding members, we embark on this journey with the aspiration of building not merely an association, but an institution, one that can shape the future of ethical global skills mobility and strengthen India's position as a trusted global talent partner."
Khanna also acknowledged the contributions of key stakeholders involved in establishing the association. He extended his appreciation to Ashish Dhawan, Arnab Bhattacharya, Deepanshu Singh, the GATI Board and team, as well as the founding members of GSMAI for their leadership, support, and shared commitment to advancing India's global skills mobility agenda.
He further thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for their guidance and encouragement in supporting initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for Indian talent globally.
