Russia is the new Gulf for India's blue-collar workforce, as the Eurasian country taps its vast pool of skilled welders, tailors and steel fixers. Companies handling recruiting for overseas jobs noted increased hiring from Russia in the last few years, as the country navigates a grinding war and a shrinking workforce.
Hiring of Indian workers is up 60% in the last four years, recruitment firms specializing in overseas jobs said, adding it is expected to grow after the two long-time partners recently agreed to enhance labour mobility. To be sure, the high growth comes on a low base.
“We used to send 300 welders a year from India for the oil and gas industry between 2018 and 2020-21. Since then, we send 500 every year, and the demand will increase in the future. Russian companies now need tailors, carpenters, steel fixers, welders, steel reinforcement workers, tin smiths, and insulators in large numbers,” said Siddhartha Mallick, co-founder and managing director of Globeskills International Pvt. Ltd, an overseas recruitment company.
Russia's population is ageing and declining, like in most developed nations. Its total fertility rate (TFR) stands at approximately 1.41 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1 required to stabilize the population. In July, its labour minister said the country will 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, almost a third of its overall foreign workers' quota. The Ukraine war and the consequent deployment of a large number of Russians on the warfront have increased the demand for labour.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine war and the Trump tariffs have brought India and Russia closer, with the two sides signing a labour mobility agreement in October. During Russian president Vladimir Putin's India visit on 5 December, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri termed the agreement as the “centrepiece” of the understandings reached during the visit. “Indian skilled workers, especially in IT, construction, and engineering, will help meet Russia's labour needs and deepen our bilateral cooperation. In fact, there is increasing interest among Russian businesses and industries to hire skilled manpower from India to support growing economic activities in Russia,” Misri said.
Among the beneficiaries of the bonhomie are manpower firms like Mallick's Globeskills, which has a network of agents scouting for candidates with suitable skills. The company primarily finds workers in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, with the majority of carpenters and tailors coming from West Bengal. “We are now seeing demand for unskilled workers who can work in the fish processing industry as well,” Mallick added.
The hiring frenzy echoes a similar boom during West Asia's energy and real estate boom in the second half of the last century, when millions of Indian workers flocked to countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, supporting the growth of the oil monarchies and fuelling prosperity in the villages back home.
Recruitment firms said that hiring for these skill sets requires tapping into well-connected networks, where many in a cluster of villages may practise the same trade. Workers moving to Russia earn a minimum of ₹50,000 a month, in comparison to much more meagre payouts back home, multiple recruiters said. In addition, Russian employers also provide food and accommodation for these workers at mines, refineries and oilfields. However, cold weather and language barriers pose challenges for many workers.
Russia is the world's second-largest producer of natural gas, and extracts crude oil in smaller quantities. While the US sanctions have indeed curbed some of its energy sector, these operations still require a large number of workers.
Amit Bhandari, senior fellow tracking energy, investment, and connectivity at foreign policy think tank Gateway House, explained why hiring from abroad is easier than making large investments, given current global political dynamics.
“There is availability of skilled and unskilled workers willing to head to Russia. Large firms must weigh the pros and cons before investing, as they may face sanction-related challenges from Western countries. Manpower, on the other hand, is a different issue, and one expects greater ease of 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 indicates increased workforce movement from India. Currently, India has its embassy in Moscow and consulates-general in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, among others.
Many recruiters, though, are treading a fine line when it comes to hiring for Russia, as they do not want to be on the wrong side of their US clients. After the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted, the US imposed sanctions on Russia across energy, finance, and other sectors. A senior executive at a Delhi-based recruitment firm, who did not wish to be named, said that private Russian players in mining and animal husbandry have contacted them for manpower. “We have not signed yet because we want to ensure there will be no challenges with our US-based clients,” the executive said.
An aviation expert highlighted increased flight traffic to Russia as an indicator of growing movement beyond tourism.
“Flight demand between India and Russia has been quite strong—whether due to tourism or the demand for blue-collar workers,” said Mark D. Martin, founder and chief executive of aviation consulting firm 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 alternative routes commonly used 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 one-stop or onward connections.
A 12 December report posted on Sberbank’s India website highlighted that flight frequencies from Russia are up 12.4% over the last 10 months. Sberbank, Russia’s key bank, said there are now 15 weekly flights across four routes between the two countries, quoting Russia’s Ministry of Transport. Tourism is another key driver of this uptick, with tourist traffic from India growing 15% from January to September 2025.
The size of the Indian community in the Russian Federation is currently estimated at 14,000. In addition, there are about 1,500 Afghan nationals of Indian origin in Russia.
There have been concerns earlier about many Indians moving to Russia for jobs being fraudulently enlisted for war-related work. 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 enlistment.