Meet Mukesh Mandal: Once a Microsoft engineer, now a street cleaner in Russia who earns Rs 1.1 lakh per month

At a time when the global tech industry is facing massive job cuts triggered by an AI boom, several tech professionals abroad have been forced to take up unconventional jobs to sustain themselves. In many countries, including Russia, the current crisis in the tech industry has forced several Indian tech professionals to do odd jobs to make their ends meet. A similar story of 17 migrant workers helping to resolve Russia's labour crunch has gone viral, reportedly earning Rs 1.1 lakh per month. Among the 17 Indian workers who reached Russia four months ago is a man identified as Mukesh Mandal, who claims to have worked as a software developer.

The 26-year-old Mukesh Mandal, in an interview to Russian media outlet Fontanka said he worked as a developer in his home country and has plans to return to India. "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 was quoted as saying by Fontanka.




Mukesh Mandal is part of a group of 17 Indian migrant workers who have taken up street cleaning jobs in St Petersburg, Russia. The workers, who arrived a few months ago, now handle manual tasks for the road maintenance firm Kolomyazhskoye.

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

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From software developer to street cleaner

Mukesh Mandal told Fontanka that he used to work as a software developer before he came to Russia as a cleaner. 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 is, however, not clear 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.”

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