October 3, 2025

Indian Caregivers Begin Working in Japan

Indian caregivers have started working in Japan in July. The first group trained by Sompo Care, a long-term care service company under Sompo Holdings based in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has completed its program in India and begun employment in Japan as certified care workers.

For Japan, which is struggling with a chronic shortage of nursing care staff, these recruits represent a valuable new workforce. At the same time, the initiative has the potential to create meaningful employment opportunities for young people in India who are seeking stable jobs.

Sompo Care operates a training center near New Delhi, the capital of India. There, young Indian trainees practice caregiving skills while following instructions in Japanese. The facility was established in August 2024 with the cooperation of India’s National Skill Development Corporation. Japanese welfare equipment is brought into the center to mirror actual care settings in Japan closely. The trainees undergo a nine-month program that combines practical care skills with intensive Japanese language training.

Why Sompo Care Chose India

In mid-April, President Takamitsu Washimi personally presented graduation certificates to nine members of the first cohort, who had been in training since last year. Eight of them passed the Specified Skilled Worker examination, which allows them to reside and work in Japan, and have started their jobs at Japanese care facilities since July.

The reason Sompo Care has turned its attention to India is the country’s vast human resource potential. As Japan’s population ages rapidly, the supply of caregivers is falling far short of demand, and the government is expected to face a shortfall of about 570,000 care workers by fiscal 2040. India, by contrast, has a population of more than 1.4 billion, and many young people struggle to find suitable employment. President Washimi says that if motivated Indian workers can thrive in Japan, it will help address social challenges in both countries.

Sompo Care has long been proactive in hiring foreign staff from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar. However, competition for talent in Southeast Asia has intensified, including in the caregiving sector. The company, therefore, sees India as a promising source of stable manpower. The training center aims to develop and recruit about 100 people per year, aiming to secure a cumulative total of around 1000 Indian caregivers by 2040. The company plans to offer salaries on par with those of Japanese staff, and hopes that experienced and capable recruits will eventually take on leadership roles as facility managers.

In Japan, interest in Indian professionals is growing across fields such as information technology and services. Whether caregivers from India can become firmly established in Japanese society will depend on national policy and on how strategically the care industry makes use of this emerging talent pool.