Wrapping up a two-day state visit to Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim issued a 39-paragraph joint statement on 8 February 2026 that places people-to-people mobility at the heart of an upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.(pib.gov.in)
Key take-aways for global-mobility stakeholders include a commitment to ‘streamline the mobility of workers and professionals’, negotiations on deeper air-services rights and the announcement of a new Indian consulate—widely expected to open in Penang—to support a 2.8-million-strong Indian diaspora.
To stay ahead of these policy shifts, organisations can leverage VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) for real-time updates, document checklists and application support for both Indian and Malaysian entry permits, ensuring employees move smoothly as new air links and consular services come online.
![India–Malaysia Joint Statement Promises Easier Worker Mobility and New Consulate]()
Both leaders welcomed ongoing visa-liberalisation measures that have already boosted two-way tourism and business travel, and instructed civil-aviation authorities to explore further expansion of bilateral seat entitlements. A parallel push to link India’s RuPay network with Malaysia’s PayNet promises simpler expense settlement for business travellers.
HR teams overseeing intra-Asia assignments should watch for forthcoming guidelines on skills-recognition and local-currency wage settlement. Migration lawyers note that Malaysia’s recently digitised Professional Visit Pass could be aligned with India’s e-Business Visa for reciprocal short-term assignments.
The joint statement also flags cooperation on semiconductor talent development—an area likely to spawn training exchanges and niche secondments in the year ahead.
Key take-aways for global-mobility stakeholders include a commitment to ‘streamline the mobility of workers and professionals’, negotiations on deeper air-services rights and the announcement of a new Indian consulate—widely expected to open in Penang—to support a 2.8-million-strong Indian diaspora.
To stay ahead of these policy shifts, organisations can leverage VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) for real-time updates, document checklists and application support for both Indian and Malaysian entry permits, ensuring employees move smoothly as new air links and consular services come online.
Both leaders welcomed ongoing visa-liberalisation measures that have already boosted two-way tourism and business travel, and instructed civil-aviation authorities to explore further expansion of bilateral seat entitlements. A parallel push to link India’s RuPay network with Malaysia’s PayNet promises simpler expense settlement for business travellers.
HR teams overseeing intra-Asia assignments should watch for forthcoming guidelines on skills-recognition and local-currency wage settlement. Migration lawyers note that Malaysia’s recently digitised Professional Visit Pass could be aligned with India’s e-Business Visa for reciprocal short-term assignments.
The joint statement also flags cooperation on semiconductor talent development—an area likely to spawn training exchanges and niche secondments in the year ahead.
