How ethical AI startup TERN is empowering Indian nurses for global healthcare roles

As the global healthcare sector grapples with an escalating shortage of skilled professionals, Indian nurses are fast emerging as the backbone of international healthcare systems—from Germany to Japan, the UK to the Gulf. What sets them apart isn’t just clinical expertise, but a unique combination of empathy, adaptability, and resilience honed in high-pressure environments back home. Recognizing both the demand and the challenges these professionals face in migrating abroad, TERN Group is rewriting the rules of global healthcare recruitment by making it ethical, transparent, and human-first. 

In conversation with Adgully, Avinav Nigam, Co-Founder and CEO of TERN Group, shares how the company is building tech-enabled, trust-driven pathways that help Indian nurses not just relocate—but thrive in global roles. From zero-cost candidate journeys and real-time migration visibility to AI-powered tools and post-arrival support, TERN is positioning itself as a transformative force in the future of global healthcare mobility. 

What are the key factors driving the skyrocketing demand for Indian nurses in countries like Germany, Japan, the UK, USA and the Gulf Countries?

When hospitals abroad talk about the kind of nurses they want – skilled, calm under pressure, good with patients, quick to adapt – they’re often describing someone who looks a lot like an Indian nurse.

What’s driving the demand isn’t just numbers – it’s trust. Over the years, Indian nurses have built a reputation across the world for being not just technically trained, but deeply empathetic. Many of them are educated in high-pressure clinical environments in India. They’re used to multitasking, thinking on their feet, and working in healthcare systems where resources are often limited, and that makes them incredibly valuable abroad.

Language also plays a huge role. Nurses from states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Maharashtra and the Northeast are often fluent in English, and increasingly in German and Japanese too. And beyond just the language, they bring cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence – two things that no machine or medical textbook can teach.

Now layer that with the numbers.

We’re staring at a global healthcare crisis. 

• The WHO says globally we’ll be short 11 million nurses by 2030.
• Germany alone needs 500,000 more nurses by 2035.
• Japan’s aging population means it will need 5 million healthcare workers by 2040.
• The UK’s NHS has 32,738 open nursing roles right now.
• The US expects a 200,000 nurse gap within five years.
• And in the Gulf, 70% of the nursing staff are already expatriates and demand is only rising.

But what makes India truly stand out is not just its scale, it’s how seriously it’s starting to invest in being ready for this opportunity.

Initiatives like Ayushman Bharat are building healthcare capacity on the ground, while the Skill India Mission is focused on training young Indians for global jobs – including healthcare. States like Kerala are already showing the way, partnering with countries like Germany through programs like Triple Win, where Indian nurses are trained not just in the language but in how to integrate into another country’s healthcare system, and they’re seeing 90%+ pass rates.

This isn’t just workforce export. It’s a long-term strategy. It’s India stepping up, not just as a supplier of talent, but as a partner in solving one of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time.

Because at the end of the day, healthcare is about people. And Indian nurses continue to prove, day after day, country after country, that they’re exactly the kind of people the world needs more of. 

How is TERN Group uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between global healthcare demand and India’s nursing talent pool?

The truth is, most nurses who dream of working abroad don’t drop out because they lack talent. They drop out because the path is unclear, expensive, and riddled with middlemen who profit from their confusion.

At TERN, we exist to change that. We built a technology-first platform that gives nurses total visibility into their global migration journey – no surprises, no hidden steps, no fine print. Everything is transparent: from eligibility to timelines to employer contracts. Healthcare professionals can see where they stand, what they need to do next, and how they’ll get there, all in one place. That alone builds trust in a process where trust is usually the first casualty.

But technology alone isn’t enough, it’s the human layer that sets TERN apart. We offer cultural and clinical readiness training that goes far beyond textbooks. Every Healthcare professional is assigned a dedicated coach who helps them prepare for real-world challenges – from handling patient handovers in German or Japanese, to navigating culture shock in a new hospital. We’re not just helping Healthcare professionals pass exams; we’re preparing them to thrive.

And we do all this without charging the healthcare professional a single rupee.

We’ve seen too many professionals fall into debt traps, paying for language courses, fake visas, or agent fees, only to be stranded abroad or forced to return. That’s why TERN charges nothing to the candidate. Their training is free. Flights are covered. The process is 100% ethical and cost-transparent – backed by certifications like Gütesiegel in Germany, which guarantees fairness and compliance with global recruitment standards.

For governments and employers abroad, this means a trusted partner who sends well-prepared, language-proficient talent, not just bodies to fill gaps. For healthcare professionals, it means freedom: from exploitation, from guesswork, from financial burden.

That’s how TERN bridges the gap – with tech, trust, and total commitment to doing right by the people who power global healthcare. 

How does TERN ensure a safe, ethical, and transparent process for nurses relocating abroad?

We started TERN with a very simple principle: If a system is built for people, it should never work against them.

That’s why transparency is at the heart of everything we do. From the moment a nurse signs up on our platform, they know exactly where they stand – what documents are needed, what the timelines look like, what training is required. Our platform sends automated updates, shares real-time progress, and gives every professional full visibility into their journey. But we don’t stop at tech. Every candidate also has a real human guide at TERN – someone to answer questions, calm fears, and offer support when it’s needed most.

On ethics, our stance is non-negotiable. 

We don’t charge nurses anything. Zero. No hidden costs, no training fees, no placement charges, because that’s how recruitment should work. We’re paid by the employer. Our job is to protect the healthcare professional, not profit off them.

And when it comes to safety, we take integration seriously. Migration doesn’t end at the airport. That’s why our post-deployment team helps with everything – housing, documentation, licensing, language support, even emotional wellbeing. We make sure every healthcare professional arrives not just prepared, but supported, because adjusting to a new healthcare system and culture is hard enough already.

All of this is backed by internationally recognized certifications: 

• Gütesiegel in Germany, which validates our fair recruitment practices
• Compliance with the UK NHS Ethical Recruiters Framework
• And licensing by India’s Ministry of External Affairs under the Emigration Act

Tech where it matters. Humans where it counts. That’s how TERN ensures nurses don’t just get abroad, they succeed there, safely and with dignity. 

Among Asian countries like Japan and Singapore, what trends are you seeing in terms of nurse recruitment and long-term career opportunities?

What we’re seeing in Japan and Singapore isn’t just a hiring trend, it’s a quiet transformation in how these countries view healthcare talent from India.

Both nations are facing fast-aging populations, and they’re not just looking for any nurses, they’re actively investing in long-term partnerships with Indian professionals who can bring empathy, expertise, and adaptability to their health systems. At TERN, we’ve seen firsthand how governments and hospitals in these countries are moving from transactional hiring to transformational integration — offering not just jobs, but real careers.

In Japan, the India-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement has opened doors for hundreds of Indian nurses annually. While the cultural and language transitions are steep, those who go through proper training find not just stable work, but a pathway to permanent residency, specialization (especially in elderly care, one of Japan’s fastest-growing needs), and deep professional respect.

In Singapore, the trend is toward advanced practice. We’re placing Indian nurses not just in bedside roles, but increasingly in oncology, critical care, and much more. Singaporean hospitals value English fluency, but what they truly seek is clinical confidence and digital adaptability – traits many of our nurses now bring thanks to upskilling programs we’ve embedded into TERN’s training journey.

Both countries are also redefining what “integration” means. It’s no longer about fitting in, it’s about belonging. Nurses in these regions are being supported with professional development, mentorship, and in some cases, routes to family reunification and permanent residency.

So yes, demand is rising. But what excites us more is that the opportunity is evolving, from short-term contracts to long-term careers built on respect, growth, and purpose. That’s the real shift. And that’s what Indian nurses and the systems they join – truly deserve. 

The Middle East has historically been a major destination for Indian nurses. How are countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar evolving in their recruitment practices today?

The Gulf has long been a stepping stone for Indian nurses, but today, it’s becoming something more: a region focused not just on hiring at scale, but on creating real, long-term opportunities.

Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are modernizing their approach. It’s no longer about just getting nurses in quickly, it’s about hiring better, integrating faster, and supporting professional growth from day one.

Hospitals across the region are improving not just salaries, but also quality-of-life factors like housing, training, and career pathways. Licensing procedures are becoming faster and more transparent, with recruitment processes increasingly shifting from ad-hoc to structured, career-oriented pathways.

Another positive shift is in how nurses are treated once they arrive. There’s growing recognition that integration is just as important as onboarding. More employers are investing in workplace support, mentorship, and skilling, not because it’s mandated, but because it works.

Most importantly, ethical hiring is no longer a differentiator – it’s becoming the baseline. And that’s where TERN is deeply aligned. We work only with partners who meet the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and care. Because global migration shouldn’t just be about moving people – it should be about moving them forward. 

With over 70,000 Indian nurses migrating last year, what trends do you foresee for 2025 and beyond?

We’re at a turning point in global healthcare migration and India’s role is only becoming more pivotal. In 2025 and beyond, we expect the demand to shift from volume hiring to outcome-driven hiring. Destination countries aren’t just looking to fill gaps; they’re looking for professionals who are culturally and clinically prepared to integrate from Day 1.

We’re also seeing a rise in specialised demand. Roles in critical care, mental health, elderly care, and digital health are growing faster than general nursing positions, particularly in countries like Japan, Germany, GCC, etc. where aging populations and tech integration are accelerating workforce needs.

Migration patterns are expanding too. Countries like Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, New Zealand, and even parts of Africa are emerging as active destination markets. These aren’t traditional corridors, but they represent governments actively building capacity and diversifying their healthcare talent pipelines.

One of the most transformative shifts we’re seeing is the rise of women-led migration. More Indian women, especially from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are taking control of their overseas careers. And they’re not just going abroad for remittances. They’re seeking leadership roles, global exposure, and long-term career progression. It’s not just a workforce trend. It’s a social shift, and it’s reshaping how families, communities, and even policies approach migration. 

What role does AI play in your recruitment and placement process?

At TERN, we see AI not as a replacement for the human touch, but as a co-pilot—empowering both candidates and clients at every step of the recruitment and placement journey.

Imagine if every candidate had a personal guide – someone who could instantly help them craft a standout profile, discover roles that align with their goals, and prepare for interviews with confidence. With TERN’s AI tools, that’s a reality. Candidates can run interview simulations and receive real-time, personalised feedback to improve their performance. Our AI-powered language practice companion builds fluency and confidence in high-stakes clinical and workplace communication. The result? Candidates are better prepared, more confident, and more likely to succeed in global placements.

On the client side, AI accelerates discovery and decision-making. Employers can instantly match with verified candidates through our proprietary TERN AI Match engine, assess language and clinical readiness, and conduct structured interviews using our AI Recruiter product. Throughout the process, AI also extracts and structures key information from the many documents shared – such as licenses, transcripts, and employment contracts, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy. From document generation to compliance workflows, automation streamlines the entire hiring lifecycle, reducing time-to-hire and ensuring consistency at scale.

Because TERN operates across 11+ countries, AI also plays a critical role in adapting workflows to diverse regulatory, linguistic, and cultural contexts. Whether it’s matching candidates to local employer requirements or generating region-specific documentation, our AI systems help deliver speed and precision without losing sight of local nuance.

Ultimately, AI enables what global healthcare recruitment demands today: speed, accuracy, transparency, and scale without compromising on empathy, ethics, or outcomes. It’s how we ensure every placement isn’t just faster, but smarter. 

What’s next for TERN Group in terms of expansion, technology, or new partnerships? (Need help)

We’re entering a new chapter — and for us, it’s not about expanding everywhere. It’s about expanding intentionally.

In 2025, we’re deepening our commitment to the DACH countries – Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where demand is high, but success hinges on language fluency and cultural integration. We’ve seen that placements alone don’t build trust — preparedness does. So, we’re building the scaffolding: high-quality German language training, on-ground cultural coaching, and stronger partnerships with healthcare systems that want not just nurses, but long-term colleagues.

We’re also exploring Japan, a country with a deep care culture and one of the world’s most acute ageing populations. The opportunity is clear — but only if it’s done right. That means language support, cultural preparedness, and designing a system that empowers Indian nurses, not overwhelms them. We’re taking that seriously. That’s why we’re launching Japanese language training programs this year, built specifically for healthcare professionals — so that Indian nurses arrive not just qualified, but truly ready.

At the same time, we’re scaling our enterprise solutions in markets like the UK and New Zealand, where the challenge isn’t finding talent — it’s deploying it efficiently. Our platform is already reducing drop-offs and documentation delays, and now we’re taking that even further.

On the technology front, we’re continuing to scale and deepen the AI infrastructure that already powers much of our platform, from our AI Recruiter that conducts structured interviews and assesses language fluency, to tools that extract and validate credentials from global documentation. Looking ahead, we’re embedding even more intelligence into the workflow – building predictive models for candidate success, automating cross-border compliance checks, and expanding our self-serve employer dashboard. The goal is to create a fully autonomous, full-stack hiring engine that adapts to the unique demands of every market we serve.

This is what the future of global migration needs: not more fragmented supply chains, but intelligent infrastructure that makes movement easier, safer, and more efficient, for everyone involved.

TERN was never about volume. It’s always been about building the rails for ethical, efficient, and future-ready migration — and that’s exactly what we’re doubling down on.