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Russia Turns to Tens of Thousands of Indian Workers to Fill Deep Labor Shortages
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Russia is preparing to receive at least 40,000 labor migrants from India in 2026 as part of efforts to address a growing workforce shortage, according to Boris Titov, the Russian leader’s special envoy for relations with international organizations on sustainable development, as reported by The Moscow Times on December 22, citing Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
Titov said Indian workers are viewed as a key source of labor to compensate for deficits across the Russian economy. Interest in Indian specialists has risen steadily in recent years. Russian authorities issued about 8,000 work permits to Indian citizens in 2022, more than 14,000 in 2023, and 36,000 in 2024.
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For 2025, the government approved an overall quota of nearly 235,000 jobs for citizens of visa-required countries, with roughly 30%—around 71,800 positions—allocated specifically to Indian nationals.
According to The Moscow Times, the move follows the signing of a labor mobility agreement between Russia and India in December during Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to the country. The agreement is intended to simplify procedures for recruiting Indian workers. Previously, India’s consul general in St. Petersburg, Neelam Rani, said that the number of Indian labor migrants in Russia could eventually reach as many as 400,000.
Russia’s push to attract foreign workers comes amid a severe labor shortage that has intensified since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Higher School of Economics estimates that Russian companies were short approximately 2.6 million workers by the end of 2024. According to projections from the Labor Ministry, the deficit could grow to 3.1 million people by 2030, while more than 12 million foreign workers may be needed by 2032 to support economic growth, the Moscow Times reported.
Official statistics show unemployment in Russia remains at a historic low. Rosstat reported an unemployment rate of 2.1% in August 2025, while analysts at Gazprombank say labor demand continues to outpace the available workforce.
In response, authorities and businesses have introduced a range of measures to ease staffing pressures. These include proposals by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs to raise the annual overtime limit to 240 hours, a step incorporated into the government’s national business development framework, according to the outlet. Additional measures include simplified hiring rules for minors and the resumption of pension indexation for working retirees.
Earlier, relatives of Indian citizens who were reportedly misled into joining Russia’s war effort against Ukraine assembled in New Delhi, urging the authorities to secure their loved ones’ return and to take action against those involved in the fraudulent recruitment network.
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