The centre will not work like private agents shipping out cheap labour for commission. From negotiating salaries to work conditions, housing and benefits, terms of work will be discussed before the final handshake. Additionally, the centre does not plan to close the loop after exporting talent. “Instead, we will support them with housing, insurance, and visa services. This is a govt initiative, but we believe that India’s human resource needs to be continuously assisted. So, there is a dedicated team that will support all of them even after they move out,” said Apoorva Palkar, vice-chancellor of Maharashtra State Skills University.

Fitters for Germany, meat cutters for Japan, and now, liftmen for Russia or plumbers for Austria, youth such as Devendra Kumar from Karjat are preparing to cater to manpower shortage around the world. “As an engineer, I know that once I am fluent in German, I can take up a good job there,” said Kumar.

Several Indian states have a youthful working-age population. This demographic is predicted to hit a billion in the next decade, hailed as an “economic miracle”. However, for young Indians like Kumar, the “miracle” has a downside too: Intense competition. “To fly from Karjat or Nashik to Japan is a big aspirational achievement. Hence, a total of five international employment centres will be established in Govandi, Sambhajinagar, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik. We have set a mission to provide international employment to thousands of students through this centre. We have collaborated with several countries for this initiative. This endeavour will enable young people to travel abroad at a minimal cost,” said Lodha.
But candidates must navigate multiple layers of global competition. “When there are job openings, companies are not just looking at the youth of Maharashtra. They are posting the same requirement in Vietnam or Sri Lanka too,” said Kavi Luthra, managing director of a consulting firm that works with state govt and facilitates global employment.