India discusses social security pact with Romania, opportunity for 30,000 skilled workers

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad is in Bucharest to attend the 19th meeting of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) between India and Romania.

Prasad met Gabriel Bogdan Stesko, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism. He also met Petre-Florin Manol, Romania’s Minister of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity. To discuss cooperation on skills-based mobility.

In Prasad’s meeting with Manole, both sides noted Romania’s annual requirement of 1 lakh workers from outside the European Union (EU) and expressed readiness to create pathways for approximately 30,000 skilled Indian professionals annually, in line with Romania’s regional labor market needs.

A press statement from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said: “The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to build a strong mobility partnership between India and Romania to promote safe, orderly, regular and responsible migration of skilled professionals – enhancing labor market connectivity for mutual benefit.”

The meeting focused on efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties by enhancing cooperation in higher education, research, innovation, think tanks and cultural exchanges. Discussion included fast-track processing for verified employers as well as cooperation in recruitment, language and vocational training, standardized employment contracts and employer obligations.

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Both parties tasked the authorities to explore the mutual recognition of qualifications and discussed the possibility of an overall (social security) agreement for the certainty of social security.

Later, Prasad held a bilateral meeting with Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Soiu, where discussions were held on expanding trade, attracting investments and strengthening resilient supply chains within the broader India-EU economic framework.

Both sides agreed to work towards the conclusion of a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) within this year, in line with the political direction set for the ongoing negotiations.

India’s exports to Romania crossed $1.03 billion in FY 2024-25, while the total bilateral trade reached about $2.98 billion in FY 2023-24. Both sides agreed to deepen supply-chain relations in priority sectors such as petroleum products, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals and ceramics and facilitate cooperation in standards, testing and investment partnerships to enhance market access on both sides.