Meghalaya nurses in Japan remit close to Rs 5 crore annually: Conrad

A steady rise in overseas remittances from Meghalaya-trained nurses has become a key marker of the state’s deepening partnership with Japan, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on November 17.

Addressing the launch of a six-month Japanese language training programme in Shillong, Sangma highlighted that 37 nurses currently employed in Japanese hospitals are together sending back “about Rs 1 lakh every month” each, generating nearly Rs 5 crore in annual foreign exchange for families in the state. Only two nurses had been deployed to Japan two years ago.

Sangma said the government is pursuing a “focused and long-term partnership” with Japan rather than spreading its efforts thin. He noted shared “cultural and culinary similarities” between Japan and India’s northeast, adding that the collaboration is already yielding measurable benefits for young professionals.

The new language programme, held at the Mount View Building in Barik, was organised by the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society under the Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development. The chief minister said the initiative aims to ensure local youth can “earn abroad and gain global exposure”, with support from the state’s partnership with the ASEAN Group.

He emphasised that nurses currently serving in Japan have reached the N4 proficiency grade and the government hopes to help them progress to N3 for better pay.

While earlier batches underwent training in Bengaluru, the new cohort will train in Shillong. A total of 86 students have registered so far. Welcoming two Japanese tutors assigned to the programme, Sangma assured them the state would make their stay comfortable.

State Labour Minister Methodius Dkhar, ASEAN Group Co Ltd Chairman and CEO Nishikwa Toshiaki, and officials of the MSSDS also attended the event.