Russia is a new gulf for Indian workers as the Eurasian country taps into its vast pool of skilled welders, tailors and steel repairers. Companies recruiting overseas have seen increased recruitment from Russia in the past few years as the country undergoes a brutal war and shrinks its workforce.
Recruitment of Indian workers has increased by 60% over the past four years, recruitment firms specializing in overseas jobs said, adding that an increase was expected after the two long-time partners recently agreed to increase labor mobility. Sure, high growth comes from a low base.
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“From 2018 to 2020-21, we sent 300 welders annually from India for the oil and gas industry. Since then we are sending 500 every year and the demand will increase in the future. Russian companies now need tailors, carpenters, steel repairers, welders, steel fittings, blacksmiths and insulators as executive and insulator in large numbers. Globeskills International Pvt. Ltd, Overseas recruitment company.
Russia’s population is aging and declining, as in most developed countries. Its total fertility rate (TFR) is approximately 1.41 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to stabilize the population. In July, its labor minister said the country would need to add 11 million workers by the end of the decade. Russia, which has traditionally found temporary workers from Central Asia, is now increasingly turning to India, granting work permits to nearly 72,000 Indians in 2024, nearly a third of its total quota of foreign workers. The war in Ukraine and the subsequent deployment of large numbers of Russians to the war front increased the demand for labor.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine war and Trump’s tariffs have brought India and Russia closer together, with the two sides signing an agreement on labor mobility in October. During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on 5 December, Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Misri described the agreement as the “centerpiece” of the arrangements reached during the visit. “Indian skilled workers, especially in IT, construction and engineering, will help meet Russia’s labor needs and deepen our bilateral cooperation. In fact, there is growing interest among Russian businesses and industry to hire skilled labor from India to support growing economic activities in Russia,” Misri said.
Among the beneficiaries of the bonhomie are manpower firms such as Mallick’s Globeskills, which has a network of agents looking for candidates with the right skills. The company primarily locates workers in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, with most of the carpenters and tailors coming from West Bengal. “We are now seeing a demand for unskilled workers who can also work in the fish processing industry,” added Mallick.
The hiring frenzy echoes a similar boom during the West Asian energy and real estate boom of the latter half of the last century, when millions of Indian workers poured into countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, fueling the growth of oil monarchies and encouraging prosperity in villages at home.
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Recruitment firms have said that hiring these skills requires tapping into well-connected networks where many in a cluster of villages can ply the same trade. Workers moving to Russia earn the minimum ₹50,000 per month, compared to much more modest salaries back home, several recruiters said. In addition, Russian employers provide these workers with food and accommodation in mines, refineries and oil fields. However, the cold weather and language barriers pose challenges for many workers.
Russia is the world’s second largest producer of natural gas and produces a smaller amount of oil. While US sanctions have indeed curtailed some of its energy sectors, these operations still require large numbers of workers.
Amit Bhandari, senior fellow on energy, investment and connectivity at foreign policy think tank Gateway House, explained why, given the current global political dynamic, recruitment from abroad is easier than major investment.
“There is an availability of both skilled and unskilled workers who are willing to head to Russia. Big firms have to weigh the pros and cons before investing because they may face challenges from Western countries related to sanctions. The workforce, on the other hand, is a different issue and one would expect easier travel for those heading to Russia for work,” Bhandari said.
Bhandari also pointed out that the opening of two more Indian Consulates General in Yekaterinburg and Kazan in November indicated an increased movement of labor from India. Currently, India has its embassy in Moscow and consulates general in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, among others.
However, many recruiters tread a fine line when recruiting for Russia because they don’t want to get on the wrong side of their American clients. Following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the US imposed sanctions on Russia across energy, finance and other sectors. An executive at a Delhi-based recruitment firm, who did not wish to be named, said they had been approached by private Russian mining and animal husbandry players seeking manpower. “We haven’t signed yet because we want to make sure there are no issues with our US-based clients,” the executive said.
An aviation expert pointed to increased air traffic to Russia as an indicator of the growing shift beyond tourism.
“Demand for flights between India and Russia has been quite strong — whether it’s tourism or blue-collar demand,” said Mark D. Martin, founder and chief executive of aviation consultancy Martin Consulting. Currently, Aeroflot is the only airline operating direct flights between India and Russia; Indian carriers do not offer direct connections. However, Martin said that commonly used alternative routes include Uzbekistan Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines. Popular Middle Eastern carriers include Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Oman Air, among others. Most operate connections with one stopover or beyond.
A December 12 report published on Sberbank India’s website highlighted that the frequency of flights from Russia has increased by 12.4% over the past 10 months. Sberbank, a key Russian bank, cited the Russian Transport Ministry as saying there are now 15 flights a week between the two countries on four routes. Tourism is another key driver of this increase, with tourism from India growing by 15% from January to September 2025.
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The size of the Indian community in the Russian Federation is currently estimated at 14 thousand. In addition, there are about 1,500 Afghan nationals of Indian origin in Russia.
Earlier there were concerns that many Indians moving to Russia for work were fraudulently enlisting for war-related jobs. In December, the two countries launched a government-monitored recruitment system and an anti-migration pact to ensure Indian workers are hired only for civilian jobs and protected from illegal military deployment.
