Russia may hire about 40,000 Indian workers in 2026 to cope with the labour shortage.
According to media reports, between 70,000 and 80,000 Indian citizens were already working in Russia at the end of last year.
Reportedly, in December last year, India signed two agreements with Russia to boost the mobility of Indian semi-skilled and skilled workers to Russia. The agreements are titled “Temporary Labour Activity of Citizens of one State in the Territory of the other State” and “Cooperation in Combating Irregular Migration”.
This is aimed at providing an employment framework for Indian workers in Russia and to safeguard Indians from facing frauds
This comes against the backdrop of the news of a young Indian software professional working on the streets of Russia. He was among 17 Indian workers who arrived in St. Petersburg several months ago to address labour shortages in municipal road maintenance.
A Russian road-maintenance company, Kolomyazhskoye, has reportedly recruited Indian workers and relocated them to the city to assist with street cleaning and winter road maintenance, according to Russia’s app-based media platform, Fontanka.
Labour shortages in several regions of Russia have increased demand for migrant workers in municipal and manual services. In this context, India’s workforce has been highlighted as a potential solution. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently emphasised the strength of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, noting that the country now hosts the world’s third-largest startup landscape.
Goyal also pointed out that India’s young, skilled, and committed workforce could help address Russia’s projected shortfall of three million skilled professionals. Reports indicate that Russia currently faces a demand for at least 500,000 semi-skilled workers, prompting Moscow to seek talent from friendly nations to fill these critical roles.
