Indian tech worker sweeps streets in Russia amid labour shortage, earns about Rs 1 lakh a month

An Indian technology professional who previously worked in the software sector is now employed as a street cleaner in Russia, according to media reports. Mukesh Mandal, a 26-year-old Indian national, is among a group of 17 Indians who travelled to Russia several months ago to take up municipal sanitation work in St Petersburg.

The group was recruited as Russia continues to face an acute labour shortage, particularly in public maintenance and sanitation services. For the past few weeks, Mandal and the other Indian workers have been cleaning city roads under the employment of Kolomyazhskoye, a road maintenance company responsible for sanitation work in the city.

Reports said Kolomyazhskoye facilitated the arrival of all 17 workers from India and currently provides food, accommodation and transport. Each worker reportedly earns close to 100,000 roubles per month, which is approximately equivalent to Rs 1.1 lakh.

According to Russian media outlet Fontanka, the workers range in age from 19 to 43 and come from diverse professional backgrounds in India. The group reportedly includes former farmers, small business owners, wedding planners, drivers and architects. Mandal informed Fontanka that he had prior experience in the technology sector before taking up the current role.

Mandal stated that he had previously worked as a software professional and had experience with tools such as artificial intelligence systems, chatbots and GPT-based technologies, describing himself as a developer. However, a Moneycontrol report said it could not independently verify whether Mandal had been employed directly by Microsoft or had worked with organisations using Microsoft technologies.

Mandal informed media outlets that his decision to move to Russia was driven primarily by financial considerations rather than long-term career ambitions. He added that he did not view the nature of the work as an issue and saw it as his responsibility to carry out his duties to the best of his ability.

He further stated that he does not intend to settle in Russia permanently and plans to return to India after earning money during his stay. Mandal added that he currently remains focused on completing his work of cleaning the streets and fulfilling his role while in the country.