New Delhi: India has initiated discussions with European Union for entering into a labour mobility partnership, which is expected to diversify the destinations for Indian workers as well as upgrading their skills, overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi said.

The Indian government has last week signed Labour Mobility Partnership Agreement with Denmark ensuring orderly and legal migration of workers from the country.

“This is the first step towards expanding the destinations for employment opportunities for Indian professionals and technocrats in health care, Information Technology, bio-technology, hospitality industry etc,” Ravi said. The minister said Denmark Embassy in New Delhi has already open a ‘work in Denmark center’ through which industrial and business groups in that country can recruit Indian professionals and workers.

“This center will facilitate the skill upgradation for our workers according to their demands,” Ravi said, adding: “This will help the recruitments through state organizations avoiding unscrupulous agents.” Denmark, which faces a manpower shortage in its industrial and healthcare sectors, is invited to hold job fares in India.

Meanwhile, a top official in the overseas Indian affairs ministry, who did not want to be identified, said India has invited the US officials for holding a formal discussion on totalization agreement early 2010. The pact will exempt expatriate workers of both nations from making social security contributions in the country where they are based if they cannot draw benefits.