According to a report by Russia Today (RT) TV on October 9, Indian officials said that India is planning to send a large number of skilled workers to Russia to promote trade between the two countries and deepen economic cooperation.
According to the report, in an interview during the "Tatarstan-India Mutual Benefit Efficiency" (TIME) forum in the Russian city of Kazan, Dana Kishore, chief secretary of Telangana in southern India, said that India and Russia "maintain friendly relations", and this will be "the first TIME that India has sent labor on a large scale (to Russia)".
Kishore pointed out that Russia is facing a shortage of skilled workers, while India has exported blue-collar labor to 33 countries. He said that Telangana is accelerating skills training, focusing on professional skills in fields such as aerospace, manufacturing and "Industry 4.0", so that local workers can obtain employment opportunities in the international market. The state government also actively promotes Russian training to create conditions for Indian workers to find employment in Russia.
At the event, Ivan Nosov, chief executive of the Indian branch of the Russian Federal Savings Bank (Sberbank), said, “The country that employs Indian workers is increasingly recognizing India’s high standards of qualification.” he said, “More than 15 million Indians are working abroad, and in the past year, the number of Indian workers to Russia has grown about 10 times, reaching about 40,000.”
Nozov pointed out that India’s total exports of goods and services exceed $45 billion annually, but to Russia are only about $5 billion, and many Russians are unaware of India’s technological capabilities and modern manufacturing facilities, which provides Indian companies with an opportunity to see Russia as a viable market,” he said.
Earlier this year, India’s Ambassador to Russia, Winnie Kumar, revealed that New Delhi and Moscow were actively negotiating an agreement on immigration and the movement of talent. In an interview with the British magazine International Affairs, Kumar said: “India and Russia’s demographic structure offer unique opportunities for both sides. By sending skilled technical professionals, we can not only help Russia address labor shortages, but our cooperation will be further deepened.”