Thousands flock to job fair in Pune's Aundh for a chance to work in Israel

The Indo-Israel workforce partnership has entered an exciting new phase as thousands of skilled workers from across the country flock to the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Aundh for the second round of a groundbreaking recruitment initiative which began on September 17 and will go on till September 25, marking a significant milestone in international labour cooperation.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is playing a pivotal role by ensuring that candidates from India are well-prepared for the technical and professional challenges that lie ahead in Israel. A senior NSDC official on condition of anonymity said, “There is a good response to the recruitment drive and interviews are being conducted at the Pune ITI since the last few days. Till now, more than 2,000 candidates have come for interviews from all across the country. But we cannot share further details of the interviews taking place.”

When Hindustan Times visited the Aundh ITI campus on Monday, there was a massive crowd of applicants who had come from various states for the interview process. Raju Yadav, who is from Bihar and works at a construction site, said, “I came to know about this work opportunity from one of my friends here in Pune, so I immediately came from Bihar by train to give the interview. We now hope that we will get a job in Israel so that we can earn good money to support our families.”

The current phase builds upon the resounding success of the initial drive conducted earlier this year in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Telangana. Till date, nearly 4,800 Indian workers have been deployed to Israel and they are earning competitive salaries of around ₹1.32 lakh per month plus a monthly bonus of ₹16,000. A delegation of 12 Israeli officials arrived in India on September 16 to oversee the second round of the recruitment drive. Meanwhile, an additional 1,500 workers from the first cohort began their journey to Israel on September 18, 2024, taking the total number of skilled Indian workers in Israel to over 5,000. In this round, Israeli employers are seeking an additional 10,000 Indian candidates. The focus is on four critical areas of expertise: framework, iron bending, plastering and ceramic tiling.

The initiative is the outcome of a landmark government-to-government (G2G) agreement signed between India and Israel in November 2023. The Maharashtra Government is throwing its full weight behind the programme, providing crucial infrastructure and logistical support at ITI Aundh. Deputy director and in-charge joint director, Ramakant Bhavsar, along with his team, are spearheading the recruitment efforts at the institute. The endeavour sets a powerful precedent for international labour mobility and demonstrates the mutual benefits of collaborative partnerships between nations.