New York [US], May 8 : India has adopted a "holistic approach" to migration governance, placing the "welfare, protection and empowerment of emigrants at its core," affirmed Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh.
Speaking at a special event organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN on the margins of the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), Singh highlighted India's "pioneering" digital initiatives designed to facilitate mobility and safeguard its citizens abroad.
"The Indian migration story is both vast and dynamic. We have a diaspora of over 34 million people spread all across the globe, encompassing more than 200 countries, and our global community has served to connect economies, cultures, and ideas through many centuries," he stated.
The Minister noted that the Indian diaspora's contributions, ranging from remittances and investments to knowledge exchange, are vital to India's growth as well as the development of their host nations.
He explained that India's framework treats migration as a "continuum" that spans "pre-departure preparation, safe transit, dignified employment, and eventual return and reintegration back into our societies."
Singh showcased the "pioneering initiative" of the 'e-Migrate' platform to the global audience, demonstrating how India is harnessing digital innovation.
The mobile application provides seamless access to essential services, including tracking application status, identifying registered or blacklisted recruitment agents, and filing of grievances."
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, observed that the IMRF gathering arrives at a time when "migration and migrants have become a politically contested terrain."
He reaffirmed that India remains "firmly committed" to legal and regular migration pathways.
"With an Indian diaspora of 34 million spread almost in all parts of the world, we have a firm and vital interest in ensuring regular migration pathways are encouraged, solidified, and strengthened. Yet we are also very clear that the distinction between migrants and refugees should be very, very clear," Parvathaneni said.
The Ambassador further highlighted the application of the India digital stack in creating population-scale solutions for migrant welfare.
He expressed India's readiness to partner with other nations to help them adopt similar open-source digital platforms for the effective management and protection of their migrant communities.