Russia is facing a serious shortage of skilled workers and is turning to India to fill the gap. India’s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, confirmed that Indian manpower is now being hired across sectors in Moscow and other regions.
At the same time, Kumar also hit back at US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on India, saying India will continue to buy oil from wherever it gets the best deal to protect its national interest.
Russia’s Need for Indian Workers
Vinay Kumar told Russian news agency TASS that companies in Russia are actively hiring Indians. The move comes as Moscow struggles with a labour crunch across industries. “At a broader level, there is a manpower requirement in Russia, and India has skilled manpower. So at present, within the Russian regulations, framework of Russian regulations, laws and quotas, the companies are hiring Indians,” he said.
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Currently, most Indians in Russia are working in construction and textiles. But demand is rising in machinery and electronics as Russian firms look for trained manpower. “Most of the people who have come are in the construction and textile sector, but the number of people interested in hiring Indians in the machinery and electronics segments is growing,” the envoy added.
Rising Numbers of Indian Workers
The number of Indians working in Russia has grown sharply in recent years. According to data from the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), only 5,480 Indians had work permits in Russia in 2021. By 2024, that figure jumped to over 36,000.
The Indian embassy is also expanding its services to support the new wave of workers. It has announced a new Consulate General in Yekaterinburg to provide passport renewals, consular help, and other support for Indian nationals. “When people come and leave, they need consular services to extend passports, childbirth, say for example, and loss of passport, and those kinds, basically consular services,” Kumar explained.
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India’s Energy Policy vs Trump’s Tariffs
While speaking about manpower, Kumar also addressed Trump’s latest move to slap heavy tariffs on India. The US President imposed 25% tariffs on India, later doubling them to 50%, claiming that India’s purchase of Russian oil undermines sanctions.
Kumar dismissed the move as unfair. “First of all, we have clearly stated that our objective is energy security of 1.4 billion people of India and India’s cooperation with Russia, as of several other countries, has helped to bring about stability in the global oil market. So the US decision is unfair, unreasonable and unjustified,” he told TASS.
India has made it clear that it will continue sourcing oil wherever prices are most favourable, regardless of Washington’s pressure. “We will continue buying oil from wherever we get the best deal and take measures to protect our national interest,” Kumar said.
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