Russia is facing an acute labor shortage, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. To fill the shortage, Moscow has turned to a new supplier: India.
Points of attention
- Russia is facing a serious labor shortage, worsened by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- A significant increase in work visas for Indian citizens is observed as Russia turns to India to source personnel.
- The traditional sources of labor, such as immigrants from Central Asia, are no longer sufficient to cover the increasing demand for workers in Russia.
Russia attracts cheap labor from India
The agency reports that the labor shortage in Russia has reached at least 2.3 million people, and the situation is worsening due to the war against Ukraine.
Traditional sources of personnel — immigrants from Central Asia — no longer cover the need, so Moscow is actively attracting workers from India.
Back in 2021, about 5,000 work permits were issued to Indian citizens, and last year — almost 72,000, which is almost a third of the annual quota for migrant workers on visas.
"Currently, the most popular are workers from India," said the director of a recruitment company.
According to him, migrants from the former Central Asia have stopped arriving in sufficient numbers.
At the same time, the weakening ruble, stricter migration laws, and anti-immigrant rhetoric have reduced their flow, leading Russia to expand quotas for foreign workers.
The choice of India as a source of labor is also linked to the strong economic and defense ties between Moscow and New Delhi.
In December, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed an agreement to facilitate employment of Indians in Russia. First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said that "the country is ready to accept an unlimited number of such workers."
According to government estimates, the country needs at least 800,000 workers in manufacturing and another 1.5 million in services and construction.
Indian workers are already working in Russian factories. Moscow-based textile company Brera Intex has brought in more than 10 workers from South Asia to make curtains and bed linen.
