More Indian workers expected in Russia – envoy

Over 70,000 are working in the country at the moment, Ambassador Denis Alipov has told TASS

More Indian workers are expected to pursue professional opportunities in Russia, Moscow’s envoy in New Delhi has said.

The number of Indian workers in the country now exceeds 70,000, and this figure will grow, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov told TASS on Monday.

“As mutual interest from the business community grows and the agreements reached are implemented, this figure will increase,” he said.

“Looking deeper, this process will lead to more intensive people-to-people contacts, and therefore, a further expansion of humanitarian and commercial ties.”

Alipov added that labor mobility is getting more attention in talks between Russia and India. The former is experiencing a significant labor shortage, particularly in its industrial regions.

The Russian Labor Ministry estimates that this shortfall could reach 3.1 million workers by 2030.

India is emerging as the ‘skill capital of the world,’ with more than 600 million workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi in December.

Alipov said that during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India, agreements on temporary employment for citizens of both countries and cooperation in the area of illegal migration were signed.

First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has said that Russia is ready to receive “an unlimited number” of skilled workers from India to help address domestic labor shortages.

In his interview with TASS on Monday, Alipov noted that about 50% of Indian citizens are of working age, adding, “Indian workers are already in steady demand in Russian regions from both commercial and manufacturing companies.”

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The envoy said agriculture, construction, housing and utilities, mining, oil and gas, railway engineering, metallurgy, shipbuilding, light industry, pharmaceuticals, medicine, and the service sectors could use skilled personnel from India.

“Obviously, it requires the development of a regulatory framework to ensure this process is transparent and regulated, and in line with national legislation,” he added.

Migrant laborers play a crucial role in Russia’s economy, filling essential jobs in construction, agriculture, and a number of other sectors.