"Russia to Welcome 1 Million Indian Workers Amid Critical Labour Crisis — Ural Region Gears Up for Influx"

In a move set to reshape the Russian workforce, Moscow is preparing to bring in up to 1 million skilled workers from India by the end of 2025, aiming to plug a widening labour gap across its industrial heartlands.

Andrey Besedin, head of the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry, revealed the bold plan in an interview with Russia’s RBC news agency. He confirmed that the Indian influx would include thousands of specialists headed to the Sverdlovsk region, home to some of Russia’s most critical heavy industry hubs — including the iconic Uralmash and tank-manufacturing giant UralVagonZavod.

"As far as I know, by the end of the year, 1 million specialists from India will come to Russia, including the Sverdlovsk region," Besedin stated. A new Indian Consulate General is being opened in Yekaterinburg to manage the logistics of this mass migration.

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Besedin emphasized that the acute labour shortfall is impacting production as many domestic workers are deployed in the Ukraine conflict, while younger Russians are increasingly avoiding factory work.

Although Russia is also eyeing potential labour sources from Sri Lanka and North Korea, Besedin noted that those discussions remain complex.

This Indian migration wave is not entirely new — in 2024, Indian workers were brought in to bolster operations at the Kaliningrad-based "Za Rodinu" fish processing complex, a response to growing staffing shortages.

Official forecasts underscore the urgency: the Russian Ministry of Labour predicts a deficit of 3.1 million workers by 2030. In a bid to respond quickly, the ministry has proposed a 1.5-fold increase in the 2025 quota for foreign skilled workers, targeting 230,000 hires.

Meanwhile, stricter migration laws enacted after the March 2024 terrorist attack in Moscow have made it harder for workers from post-Soviet states to enter, pushing the Kremlin to widen its recruitment net to countries like India.

As Russia grapples with war-driven demographics and an aging workforce, the country's factories may soon see a new engine of productivity — fueled by skilled hands from the subcontinent.

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