Indian workforce mobility firm BorderPlus targets 50,000 caregivers for Japan as ageing crisis grows

BorderPlus aims to send up to 50,000 caregivers from India to Japan over the next four to five years, as the East Asian country faces a crippling shortage of such workers to support its rapidly ageing population.

The company has launched a Japan-focused programme under the country’s specified skilled worker (SSW) pathway and signed two partnerships in Japan. It expects to add four more partners in the next few months.

“We have already started training our first cohort in India, combining Japanese language instruction with medical and caregiving skills,” said Mayank Kumar, co-founder of BorderPlus. “The programme requires workers to clear a Japanese language test and demonstrate the required skills. Unlike conventional nursing pathways, a Class 12 qualification can meet the basic eligibility threshold for candidates.”


Also Read: Ageing Japan turns to Indian GCCs to bridge talent gap

The training is centred on geriatric care rather than highly specialised clinical roles. Participants, including those with nursing backgrounds, will undergo refresher training in basic medical and caregiving skills, with general duty assistant (GDA) and elderly-care roles expected to account for much of the demand.

BorderPlus follows a three-part ‘language, culture and skills’ model. Alongside language proficiency and job-specific skills, workers are trained in Japanese workplace and social norms.

Kumar told ET that cultural preparation is particularly important as expectations around communication, punctuality and workplace behaviour can differ significantly between India and Japan. The Germany and Japan pathways typically involve seven to nine months of training.

The push into Japan comes as several developed economies experience a structural demographic squeeze. Countries such as Germany, Japan, Italy and South Korea are seeing their working-age populations decline as more people retire and fewer enter the workforce, while demand for nurses and care workers continues to rise.

“International workforce mobility is becoming a necessity rather than a temporary hiring trend,” Kumar said.

Japan’s demand extends beyond hospitals to residential care homes, at-home or ambulatory care and other assisted-care settings. Japan is predominantly seen as a ‘care’ market, while Germany’s requirement is split between care and clinical nursing.

Also Read: India to send 100,000 skilled workers abroad annually under NSDC plan

BorderPlus, which currently operates in Germany, Japan and the Gulf, is evaluating Italy, Spain, the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Nordic countries as potential markets for expanding its footprint, Kumar said.