The Indian government is exploring the possibility of linking all insurance schemes in such a way that the interests of millions of its expatriates are safeguarded.
This was revealed by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V K Singh to Gulf Times yesterday when asked if the government had any plans to float effective social security schemes for its expatriates on the lines of those in place in the Philippines for its overseas workers. 
“Insurance companies are being contacted over and again and they are also coming up with innovative proposals from their side to help the expatriates,” he said.
The minister had earlier spoken at a reception jointly hosted in his honour by the Indian Cultural Centre, Indian Business Promotion Network and Indian Community Benevolent Fund.   
Singh said his ministry has been working on the issue (of linking insurances) for more than six months and he is hopeful that some effective solutions are found to meet the urgent requirements of expatriates at a later date.
Besides pensions for its expatriates, the Philippines has schemes for their housing and medical requirements, education for children and emergency and calamity loans, among others, as part of the country’s social security system, it is learnt.
Singh called upon Indian communities abroad to bring to his attention expatriate-friendly social security schemes in other countries if they were familiar with their nature and functioning.
In his address, Singh spoke of the Indian federal government’s resolve to help members of the diaspora wherever they were. He also urged the community members to help fellow Indians in distress through any possible means.
While elaborating on some of the initiatives launched by the Indian government for the benefit of Indians returning to their homeland in different circumstances, Singh told them to avail of schemes such as Startup India, Stand-Up India and Mudra Yojana, each of which he said has opened the doors for an array of people-friendly loans for those wanting to excel in life.
Singh, who was actively involved in the evacuation of thousands of Indians, along with many others from more than 30 countries,  from strife-torn Yemen in 2015, also appealed to non-resident Indians to avoid spreading unsavoury information through social media and news channels at a time when the region’s economy had suffered owing to a fall in oil prices.
Speaking earlier, Indian ambassador Sanjiv Arora expressed hope that the strong fundamentals of its economy would help Qatar occupy a prime position even in the wake of the ongoing economic downturn.
Singh, who was on a day-long visit to Qatar, also met HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi.