India has adopted a “holistic approach” to migration governance, placing the “welfare, protection and empowerment of emigrants at its core”, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said at a special event organised by India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the sidelines of the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).
Addressing the gathering, Singh highlighted India’s digital initiatives aimed at facilitating safe mobility and protecting citizens abroad.
“The Indian migration story is both vast and dynamic. We have a diaspora of over 34 million people spread across more than 200 countries. This global community has connected economies, cultures and ideas over centuries,” he said.
He noted that the Indian diaspora contributes significantly through remittances, investments and knowledge exchange, benefiting both India and host countries.
Singh said India’s migration framework treats migration as a “continuum”, covering pre-departure preparation, safe transit, dignified employment, and return and reintegration into society.
Highlighting the government’s digital interventions, he referred to the ‘e-Migrate’ platform as a “pioneering initiative” designed to streamline overseas employment processes and improve migrant welfare.
The mobile application allows users to track application status, identify registered and blacklisted recruitment agents, and file grievances.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said the IMRF meeting was taking place at a time when migration and migrants had become a “politically contested terrain”.
“With an Indian diaspora of 34 million spread across the world, we have a firm interest in ensuring that regular migration pathways are encouraged and strengthened. At the same time, the distinction between migrants and refugees should remain very clear,” he said.
Parvathaneni also underlined the use of India’s digital public infrastructure in creating large-scale welfare solutions for migrants.
He said India was willing to collaborate with other countries interested in adopting open-source digital platforms for the management and protection of migrant communities.
