The industry welcomed BRICS's commitment to closer cooperation in forecasting skill needs, remote employment, and cross-border worker mobility. According to industry representatives, these initiatives have the potential to strengthen skills alignment and expand access to international job markets.
The declaration adopted at the BRICS Summit on September 12 provides for joint work on forecasting skill needs by analyzing labor market trends in priority sectors such as digital, green, and care sectors. A BRICS Connect network was also established to build capacity, enhance employment, and adopt new technologies and skills.
Sonal Arora, India Country Manager at the global HR firm GI Group Holding, noted that BRICS Connect can help address the lack of comparable data on labor markets and prospective skills among member countries. However, she suggested that the network would have a more direct impact on internal workforce planning, skills mapping, and curricula, rather than directly on cross-border hiring.
Arora added that over time, improved visibility and greater consistency regarding skills could support worker mobility and cross-border hiring, but this would depend on many factors beyond skill forecasting, including visa regimes, qualification recognition, wage disparities, and social security agreements.
Rajiv Juneyia, President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), stated that BRICS Connect will serve as a valuable platform for anticipating emerging skill needs, as technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and the transition to a green economy are increasingly transforming workplaces, skills, and employment opportunities. He emphasized that skills development must closely align with real industry demands, while employers must play a more active role in identifying new professional needs.
The declaration also recorded the intention to create an international digital platform for remote employment for BRICS countries. According to Arora, this could open a new avenue for Indian tech professionals to secure international jobs without the need for physical relocation, especially against the backdrop of tightening visa and immigration rules in traditional destinations like the US, which has made remote work more attractive.
However, Arora warned that for the platform to be more than just a job search marketplace, a supportive ecosystem is critically important. This includes reliable verification and recognition of skills and qualifications, clarity on employment status and worker protection, social security arrangements and benefit portability, as well as clear rules on taxation, payments, and employer compliance in cross-border activities.
BRICS countries also committed to protecting the rights of workers moving across borders, ensuring benefit portability, and avoiding double contributions to social security systems. PHDCCI believes that cooperation in qualification recognition and social security portability can facilitate labor mobility by reducing transaction costs for businesses and workers.
Rajit Mehta, CEO and Secretary General of PHDCCI, noted that a balanced approach can enhance worker security without creating excessive compliance burdens for enterprises. He called for the direct involvement of industry bodies, SMEs, employers, and educational institutions in developing skills development programs, identifying new professions, and creating practical pathways for worker reskilling and upskilling.
Mehta also added that harmonized and transparent frameworks will reduce costs for businesses and workers while ensuring more efficient utilization of skilled labor. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General of Assocham, stated that BRICS Connect and the proposed remote employment platform can stimulate industry-education partnerships, expand employment opportunities, and support more technologically oriented labor markets in BRICS countries.
Regarding the gig economy and platform work, the declaration recognized the need to implement innovative and nationally adapted approaches to increase social protection coverage. Juneyia stated that social protection should be expanded while maintaining the flexibility that allowed the platform economy to generate employment, but without creating excessive burdens for businesses.
The group also advocated for closer ties between vocational education and training institutions and industry. The BRICS TVET cooperation alliance was recognized as a platform for information exchange and joint development of technical and vocational education. Furthermore, the declaration supported mutual recognition of qualifications, academic and professional mobility, and the safe, ethical, and human-centered use of new technologies, including AI.