By Dr. Akram Ahmad (PhD), Researcher, Global Healthcare Career Coach, Founder & CEO, Academically Global
The McKinsey Health Institute has projected a shortage of at least 10 million healthcare workers by 2030 across the world. The gap threatens not only patient care but also the resilience of health systems and economies. The world is on the brink of a healthcare workforce crisis that could make or break the economy and manpower of any country..
India, in this scenario, has emerged as one of the strongest contributors to the global healthcare ecosystem. The country’s vast pool of trained doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses and allied professionals has become indispensable to certain nations. These nations are struggling with ageing populations and domestic training shortfalls.
The UK, for instance, now employs one in four nurses from outside its borders, with India among the top contributors. The number of internationally trained nurses in the UK has doubled in just six years. Ireland, in 2024, issued more than thirty-eight thousand work permits to non-EU individuals. Twelve thousand out of these chose the healthcare industry to contribute their knowledge and skills.
Similarly, Western Australia also welcomed 150 trainee doctors from India in early 2025 to strengthen its stretched healthcare system.
What makes this moment particularly significant is the shift in who is driving this migration. The wave is no longer led primarily by professionals from metro cities alone. Instead, the new surge of talent is coming from India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Towns once considered India’s healthcare hinterland, long dependent on adjoining metros for advanced medical and educational infrastructure, are now emerging as key contributors to the global healthcare workforce. Their professionals are helping sustain hospitals across developed and high-income nations.
This transformation and migration reflect both opportunity and necessity and is largely driven by a mix of practical realities and personal aspirations. For healthcare professionals from smaller Indian cities, migration has become not just a career choice but a path to professional growth, financial security, and personal dignity.
• Limited Career Growth
Hospitals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities often lack advanced equipment, research infrastructure, and specialty departments. For doctors and nurses who want to grow, the options are limited. Migration becomes a means to gain exposure, improve skills, and work in environments that value continuous learning.
• Higher Salaries
Healthcare systems abroad offer significantly better remuneration. Countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and those in the Gulf region provide salaries that reflect both the skill and intensity of medical professions. For many Indian professionals, these opportunities are life-changing.
• Streamlined Licensing Pathways
In the past, complex certification processes discouraged many professionals from applying abroad. Today, clearer licensing routes, transparent examinations, and government partnerships have made global healthcare employment more accessible and less intimidating.
• Better Working Conditions
In India, long shifts, understaffed departments, and insufficient support are common realities. A twenty-hour duty is not unusual. Many healthcare workers feel overburdened and under-recognized. Overseas systems often offer structured working hours, better staffing ratios, and dedicated programs for skill development, making migration an attractive alternative.
• Quality of Life
Healthcare workers are increasingly speaking up about their need for work-life balance and better well-being. After years of demanding study and stressful work, they want a better life for themselves and their families. Opportunities abroad often promise improved living standards, safety, and dignity of work.
This large-scale migration is reshaping global healthcare delivery. Developed nations benefit from India’s highly skilled workforce, while India, in turn, gains recognition for its world-class medical education and training. Yet, this trend also brings challenges. The continuous outflow of talents risks deepening shortages at home, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
The key, therefore, lies in converting this movement into a cycle of renewal rather than depletion. India must strengthen its healthcare infrastructure and academic ecosystem across smaller cities so that professionals see value in coming back to their home country after they have gained international experience. Expanding postgraduate medical seats, investing in super-specialty hospitals, and improving working conditions in Tier 2 cities can ensure that the pipeline of skilled workers remains robust.
Creating global partnerships that can make migration sustainable is equally important. Bilateral agreements between India and destination countries can ensure ethical recruitment, mutual recognition of qualifications, and opportunities for returning professionals to reintegrate into India’s healthcare system with enhanced skills.
India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are no longer secondary contributors to the nation’s healthcare story. They are fast becoming the core of a new, globally connected medical workforce. As the world prepares for a new decade of healthcare challenges, this wave of professionals from smaller Indian cities stands as both a solution to global shortages and a symbol of India’s growing strength in human capital.
The next chapter of global healthcare will be written not just in high-income countries, but also in Indore, Karnal, Coimbatore, or Ranchi. The question is whether India can seize this moment to turn its healthcare migration into a story of shared progress instead of a silent loss.
