A million Indians could immigrate to Russia — business leader

The expected influx comes amid ongoing labor shortages, according to business chamber leader Andrey Besedin

Up to one million Indian nationals could immigrate to Russia by the end of 2025 to help address a severe shortage of skilled labor, according to Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) President Andrey Besedin.

In an interview with the Eurasian News Agency (EAN), he stated that Indian officials told him the figure during a meeting earlier this year, adding that a new Indian consulate is set to open in the city of Yekaterinburg to manage the expected arrivals.

“As far as I’ve heard from my Indian colleagues, up to one million specialists from India will arrive in Russia, including the Sverdlovsk Region, by the end of the year,” he said.

Besedin said Russia’s industrial enterprises are under pressure to expand production, both due to state policies on import substitution and the demands of the ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

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However, he noted that the region lacks a sufficient number of qualified personnel. “Part of the workforce has been sent to the special military operation, and the youth are not going to factories,” he said. According to Besedin, Indian migrants are expected to work in metallurgy and mechanical engineering.

Talks are also underway with Sri Lanka and North Korea about potential labor cooperation, Besedin said. He acknowledged that Russia lacks experience working with migrants from these countries but described the initiative as a “new level of international labor cooperation.”

Russia’s Ministry of Labor has forecast a shortage of 3.1 million workers by 2030, and reported that in 2024, companies hired only 47,000 qualified migrants from countries whose citizens require a visa for entry.

Following the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in March 2024, Russia has implemented stricter migration controls. More than 190,000 foreign nationals were expelled from the country that year, according to the Interior Ministry. A new federal agency was established in April 2025 to enforce immigration rules and reduce violations.

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Despite the increased restrictions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that reducing the number of labor migrants would not be in Russia’s interests. He noted that the country is facing a shortage of workers and warned that lowering immigration levels could render development goals “less realistic.” At the same time, he emphasized the need to ensure that immigrants obey the law.