India’s blue-collar workers bridging Russia’s labour shortage

(File photo)

Russia is emerging as a key destination for India’s blue-collar workforce, drawing on a large pool of skilled welders, tailors, carpenters and steel fixers as it grapples with a prolonged war and a shrinking labour force.

Recruitment companies handling overseas placements say hiring by Russian firms has risen steadily over the past few years.

Hiring of Indian workers has increased by 60% over the last four years and is expected to grow further after India and Russia agreed to strengthen labour mobility. To be sure, the high growth comes on a low base, according to a report by Mint.

“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,” Siddhartha Mallick, co-founder and managing director of overseas recruitment firm Globeskills International Pvt. Ltd, told Mint.

Russia, like many developed nations, is facing an ageing and declining population. In July, the country’s labour minister said it would need to add 11 million workers by the end of the decade.

At the same time, US sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war and punitive tariffs on India have brought New Delhi and Moscow closer. The two countries signed a labour mobility agreement, which Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri described as the “centrepiece” of the outcomes of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 5.

“Indian skilled workers, especially in IT, construction, and engineering, will help meet Russia's labour needs and deepen our bilateral cooperation,” he said.

Manpower firms such as Globeskills are among the beneficiaries, relying on extensive agent networks to find suitable candidates. “We are now seeing demand for unskilled workers who can work in the fish processing industry as well,” Mallick added.

Recruiters said the surge mirrors the Gulf boom of the last century, when millions of Indian workers migrated to countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait.

Workers heading to Russia earn a minimum of Rs 50,000 a month, far higher than wages at home, recruiters said. Employers also provide food and accommodation.

Amit Bhandari, senior fellow at foreign policy think tank Gateway House, told Mint that hiring foreign workers is easier than making large investments under current geopolitical conditions. “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,” he said.

Some recruiters, however, are proceeding cautiously to avoid potential issues with their US clients.

An aviation expert also pointed to rising flight traffic as a sign of increased movement. “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 Martin Consulting.

At present, Aeroflot is the only airline operating direct flights between the two countries, though travellers also use routes via Uzbekistan Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines.