Amidst an escalating labour shortage driven by its ongoing war and Western sanctions, Russia is reportedly planning to recruit up to 1 million Indian workers by 2025. The sectors expected to benefit include construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. With Russian industries severely hit by manpower deficits, this move is aimed at stabilizing domestic production and rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure. According to officials, discussions are underway between the Russian and Indian governments, focusing on creating safe and legal employment channels to ensure the protection of Indian workers.

This initiative is also seen as a strengthening of Indo-Russian relations, with economic cooperation expanding into human resource sharing. However, experts have raised concerns regarding worker safety, language barriers, legal rights, and wages in a politically volatile environment. The Indian government is expected to issue advisories and frameworks to monitor the well-being of citizens working abroad under this scheme.

The plan is still under negotiation, but if implemented, it would mark one of the largest international labour mobility partnerships between the two countries to date.