Uttar Pradesh, Japan explore collaboration in healthcare, medical education and robotics

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh and Japan are exploring wider cooperation in healthcare, medical education, robotics, pharmaceuticals and skilled manpower, with officials highlighting the potential to combine the state’s expanding healthcare workforce with Japan’s technological expertise.

The discussions took place during the UP-Japan Healthcare and Care Economy Partnership sectoral session held on Friday. The healthcare-focused talks centred on opportunities to strengthen medical education, introduce advanced Japanese technologies and develop skilled professionals capable of meeting healthcare and care-sector requirements in both countries.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak highlighted the expansion of medical education in Uttar Pradesh, noting that the number of medical colleges in the state has increased from 47 to more than 83. Alongside the growth in medical colleges, nursing institutions are also being developed, while seats across MBBS, MD, nursing and paramedical programmes have increased significantly.

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Pathak said Uttar Pradesh’s large pool of trained human resources could help meet Japan’s growing requirement for healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, nursing personnel and medical technicians. He suggested that young people could receive training in the Japanese language and work culture to better align their skills with the requirements of Japanese companies, reports Medical Buyer.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Ghosh said Uttar Pradesh has considerable scope for healthcare collaboration with Japan. He pointed to recent investment activity, including MoUs signed with 12 pharmaceutical companies in a single day, and said Japanese companies are showing interest in investing in the state. Discussions are also underway on bringing Japanese technology to Uttar Pradesh and exploring cooperation in robotics.

Another proposal involves developing a Medical Tech Park spread across nearly 400 acres, while opportunities for Japanese participation in establishing medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model are also being examined.

Principal Secretary, Skill Development, Dr Hari Om, said Uttar Pradesh has an extensive network of ITIs and polytechnic institutions capable of training lakhs of young people annually. Based on demand from Japan, specialised training centres could provide instruction in Japanese language, technical skills, caregiving, work culture and workplace practices.

Mansi Kasliwal, Director of STEP Foundation, emphasised the growing requirement for care workers and called for training models covering care-skills assessment, Japanese-language proficiency, nursing-care terminology and workplace behavioural readiness.

Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment, Dr M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram, noted that Japan’s ageing population and labour shortages are expected to increase demand for trained workers, including those in caregiving. Mission Director of the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission, Pulkit Khare, said cooperation with Japan could create new international employment pathways for the state’s youth.

The discussions underscore the potential for closer India-Japan cooperation in healthcare through technology adoption, medical education, pharmaceutical investment, caregiving skills and trained healthcare manpower.

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