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Global mobility of highly skilled professionals has recorded its first decline since 2020, dropping 8.5 per cent year-on-year -- a fall of about 220,000 cross-border career moves, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled "Global Talent Mobility Is Slowing and Shifting."
The report added that the slowdown, driven by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and stricter migration policies in markets such as Canada and the UK, is reshaping global talent flows. Despite the downturn, India has emerged as one of the biggest gainers. The report notes a sharp rise in India's position across all tracked talent categories. India registered a 1.9 percentage-point increase in global AI talent share and a 1.4 percentage-point rise in STEM talent share, placing it consistently within the global top 10. Backed by its large educated workforce and strong university representation, India is seen as well-positioned for long-term growth. India is also strengthening its status as a global AI talent hub. Seven of the world's top 10 universities producing AI talent are based in India, with Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University emerging as the leading source of globally mobile AI graduates across five major destination markets. Meanwhile, global talent hubs continue to shift. The US remains the top magnet, gaining 2.4 percentage points overall and 3.3 percentage points in STEM talent. The UAE also saw strong inflows, attracting nearly 178,000 highly skilled professionals in 2025 and ranking among the top three destinations for STEM, AI and highly skilled talent. As traditional migration hotspots tighten their entry routes, India's growing talent base and global relevance position it as a key beneficiary in a rapidly evolving mobility landscape. As global competition for high-skill talent intensifies, the findings underscore the need for countries and companies alike to rethink talent attraction and retention strategies. The report highlights that nations with proactive hiring ecosystems, flexible migration policies and strong education pipelines will be best positioned to secure long-term economic advantage. India's continued rise across AI, STEM and highly skilled talent categories signals a pivotal moment in the global talent landscape, with far-reaching implications for employers, policymakers and the wider economy, the report added. (ANI)
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