BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is organising an international job fair in Bengaluru in January 2026 to facilitate the placement of skilled labourers in companies located outside India. This is for the first time that such a fair is being held in the state.
Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood is organising this mega event to help skilled workers secure employment with foreign companies outside India.
There is a huge demand for nurses, caretakers (paramedical staff), plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and other skilled labourers outside India, especially in European, Gulf and Middle Eastern countries.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Manoj Kumar Meena, Secretary to the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, said that India has a strong pool of human resources and many countries have a significant demand for skilled labour.
“We have initiated the process of reaching out to companies in various foreign countries that are looking for skilled workers. We are organising a mega international job fair in Bengaluru in January 2026,” he said.
The department is now contacting consulates, reaching out to companies and agencies through email, and conducting roadshows in a few countries.
Further, Manoj Kumar Meena said that taking a cue from the Kerala model, they are organising a nursing conclave where trained nurses from Karnataka can secure placements outside India.
Karnataka is one of the states that has an International Migration Centre associated with the Ministry of External Affairs. “This is to ensure ethical migration,” he added.
Karnataka also has the Government Tool Room and Training Centre (GTTC), which offers diploma and short-term skill development training programmes.
“We have received approval to start German labs in two GTTC centres, where German will also be taught,” he said.
The candidates will undergo one year of language training before placement. To provide this training, the department will invite tenders from suitable agencies. The training will not be limited to basic language learning.
“Since they will be interacting with patients and elderly people, they need more time to gain proficiency in the language. Exams will be conducted, and certificates of language proficiency will be issued,” he said.
The story is reported by Ashwini M Sripad for The New Indian Express