Workforce mobility platform BorderPlus on Thursday said it is aiming to expand into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market by planning to send around 1,000 Indian nurses by the financial year 2026-27 (FY27) to fill demand in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
How many nurses does BorderPlus plan to send, and what is the timeline?
“We are aiming to send its first cohort of 50 nurses in the next two to three months, with at least 1,000 nurses to be sent in the next financial year (FY27),” Mayank Kumar, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder at BorderPlus, told Business Standard.
When will BorderPlus begin onboarding GCC-focused nurse cohorts?
The platform will begin onboarding its first GCC-focused nurse cohorts by January 2026, with partnerships underway with hospitals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
How many hospitals will BorderPlus engage with initially in the Gulf?
At first, the platform is planning to engage with more than 10 hospitals and medical facilities, with collaborations with more long-term care operators and facilities in GCC countries in the coming time.
How big is nurse demand in the GCC, according to the company?
The demand for nurses, Kumar said, is high with the GCC healthcare ecosystem projected to require over 50,000 additional nurses by 2027. “Demand is increasing annually at a rate of 10 to 15 per cent, with some markets like Saudi Arabia increasing at 20 to 25 per cent,” he added.
How many nurses does India send to the GCC each year?
India sends around 25,000 to 30,000 nurses to the GCC per year, which comes to around 45 to 50 per cent of the nursing workforce joining GCC from other countries.
What other markets is BorderPlus targeting after the GCC?
The mobility platform already has a presence in Germany. After adding the GCC to its portfolio, BorderPlus will look at expanding into English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia and New Zealand. “We will also look at other European countries such as Italy and Spain,” Kumar added.
Where are BorderPlus’s nurse cohorts currently coming from?
Kumar said that most of BorderPlus’s cohort of nurses are coming from Maharashtra, at around 45 per cent, with pockets in South India, the northeastern states and Delhi. “This can change with GCC coming in and skew a bit towards the North,” he added.
Why are nurses choosing to emigrate, according to BorderPlus?
A major reason for this outflow is the difference in salary packages for nurses and allied healthcare workers in international markets. Kumar said that typical salaries in India range around Rs 25,000 to 30,000 per month, while typical salaries for Germany are Rs 2.5 lakh to 3.5 lakh per month.
“For GCC, this number stands at approximately Rs 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh per month. From a savings perspective, numbers for GCC and Germany are similar as there are no taxes in GCC countries and accommodation plus transportation is sponsored by the recruiter,” Kumar said.
What does BorderPlus offer in the migration process?
Worker mobility platforms like BorderPlus handle the end-to-end process, which includes training related to the prometric exam, language, support in documentation, visa and transportation.
