‘Work is God’: 26-year-old Indian leaves tech career to sweep streets in Russia for ₹1.1 lakh a month

Indians often migrate to foreign lands in search of employment opportunities, whether in tech hubs like Silicon Valley or in other roles across firms in various countries. Indians adapt, survive, and send their hard-earned money to support their families back home. A similar story of 17 migrant workers helping to resolve Russia’s labour crunch has gone viral online, with reports stating they earn approximately ₹1.1 lakh.

Indian leaves tech career to sweep streets in Russia for ₹1.1 Lakhs

Indian software developer takes up street cleaning in Russia

A group of 17 Indian migrant workers has taken up street cleaning jobs in St Petersburg, Russia. These workers, who arrived four months ago, now handle manual tasks for the road maintenance firm Kolomyazhskoye. Among them is 26-year-old Mukesh Mandal, who says he once worked as a software developer in India.

According to a report by Russian news outlet Fontanka, Kolomyazhskoye covers everything for the group, from paperwork to daily needs. Maria Tyabina, Acting Head of the Comprehensive Cleaning Department at Kolomyazhskoye JSC, said, “They are manual labourers, cleaning the streets. We meet them and handle all the paperwork. We provide them with housing, prepare them, and provide protective clothing - we handle everything. We provide meals and transportation from the dormitory to the workplace. We also provide transportation for lunch.”
The workers earn about 100,000 roubles per month, which is roughly ₹1.1 lakh.

The team spans ages 19 to 43 and comes from diverse backgrounds in India. Some were farmers, while others ran businesses such as wedding planning or tanning operations.

Mukesh plans to earn money and return to India

Mukesh Mandal shared his story with Fontanka, explaining his journey in halting English. “I've mostly worked at companies like Microsoft and used new tools like AI, chatbots, GPT, and the like. Essentially, I'm a developer,” he said. It remains unclear whether he meant direct employment at Microsoft or firms that use its tools.

Mandal said his motivation is driven by simple economics and a strong work ethic. He plans a short stint abroad. “My plan for the year is to stay in Russia, earn some money, and then return to my country. I'm just doing my job: cleaning the streets. This is your country, and you should understand what I do,” he told Fontanka.

When asked why he chose street cleaning over coding, he said, “I'm Indian, and for an Indian, the job doesn't matter. Work is for God. You can work anywhere - in a toilet, on the street, anywhere. This is my job, my duty, and my responsibility, to do it as well as possible. That's all.”

Russia’s labour shortages, worsened by population decline and the Ukraine conflict, have drawn workers from across the world.