"Is 'Made in India' fueling employment growth?"
In India, the number of jobless youth outnumbers job opportunities. While new positions are being created in the manufacturing sector, is this sufficient? For numerous young Indians, emigrating abroad appears to be the solution – a mutually beneficial scenario for Germany?
India's economy is escalating. The IT sector has been an essential contributor for years and has advanced the nation significantly. Nevertheless, in comparison to value creation, this sector offers relatively few employment opportunities, according to India specialist Matthias Catón. In the podcast "Economy, Worldwide, Far," Catón elucidates: "Part of the success story, but also part of the issue."
India's population is expanding at an alarming rate, resulting in securing employment becoming increasingly challenging for many. Essentially, there are more young individuals appearing than jobs being generated. The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has hence devoted efforts to enhancing the manufacturing sector. This could potentially bring more people into employment. Catón is keenly observing this development and has observed successes, particularly in mobile phone production: "Apple is the most renowned investor," reports Catón, and anticipates that other companies will follow suit.
However, this is merely a preliminary phase. Numerous young people are seeking success abroad – a trend that Christoph Mohr, India expert at the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, has identified. In the podcast, Mohr explains that the USA has been the "customary object of desire for the truly well-educated Indian elite," but that Britain and Australia are also popular. Nevertheless, Germany is "increasingly appealing," Mohr suggests. "I believe there is considerable interest on both sides that should be leveraged."
Healthcare Personnel
It's not merely about young Indians traveling to Germany for education. Mohr discusses a program between the Indian state of Kerala and Germany to integrate nursing sisters and nurses into the German labor market. "That's a really clever program," opines Mohr, "since it combines language training in German with recognition of Indian credentials in Germany."
How scalable are such programs? Can they help alleviate the skilled labor shortage in Germany – and are they mutually advantageous for both parties? Germany is India's most significant trading partner in Europe. Where are the possibilities for German companies in India? These, and many other questions, are explored by host Andrea Sellmann with her guests Matthias Catón and Christoph Mohr in the second part of the India Podcast Double.
Matthias Catón oversees the Indo-German Centre for Business Excellence at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. This is a think tank for German-Indian business relations. The political scientist has been addressing international politics and economics for several years and also hosts the podcast "Business Diplomacy Today." Christoph Mohr is the head of the India Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Delhi. In the podcast "Economy, Worldwide, Far," Catón summarizes: "Part of the success story, but also part of the problem."
Read also:
In the context of India's efforts to boost employment, there's a growing interest among young people to seek opportunities abroad, with Germany becoming increasingly appealing. This trend could potentially lead to beneficial trade relations between Germany and India.
Germany and India have strong trade relations, with Germany being India's most significant trading partner in Europe. This presents opportunities for German companies in India, particularly in sectors like manufacturing, where India is making significant strides, such as in mobile phone production.
