Meanwhile, I think a level playing field for both foreign license holders and local captains when it comes to medicals is in order, if some local captains are losing their jobs on that basis.
I dont quite agree to that view.
Today it is about level playing field in medical standards.
Tomorrow some other Indian pilots would say that foreign pilots must also pass and get an Indian RTR, failing which the pilot is not said to be "safe" for Indian skies.
Next, some other Indian pilots would be lobbying for expat pilots to pass all the DGCA ATPL theory examinations and technical papers to prove competency !
Even further, we would want expat pilots to also get a MORSE CODE test certificate, else the expat pilot is unsafe to fly here because of lack of knowledge of morse code !
A validation is a validation only.
It is purely an authorization to fly in another country's airspace temporarily on the basis of having another ICAO contracting nation's valid and current licence.