Moscow: Had it not been for Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, many would have not known of Abhay Kumar Singh, the man from Patna who is now a deputat (MLA) in the Kursk city legislature.
It was Singh who hailed Russian-made S-400 missile system and suggested that India goes for the S-500, days before Putin’s tenth state visit to India.
“S-400 is a very good missile system. But the S-500 is the latest technology, and it is being used in Russia only. Russia is not giving it to any other country. If Russia decides to supply it to India, India will become the first country to get it. Even China hasn’t got this system,” Singh, who won his second election in Russia in 2022, said.
According to India Today, Singh left Patna in 1991 to study medicine in Russia. He completed his graduation from Kursk State Medical University in Russia and returned to Patna to practice as a registered doctor.
Singh, however, went back to Russia to start a pharmaceutical business, later expanding into real estate and construction. Soon, he came to be known as a business personality in Kursk. He joined politics in 2015 and contested elections for the first time in 2017 as a candidate of Putin’s United Russia party.
After his win, the fir
st Indian-origin lawmaker elected to public office in Russia. He told India Today TV how he blended Indian politics to Russian elections.
“Politics has always been a part of me. You know, even school children in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh talk about politics and understand it. I joined politics in 2015 after being inspired by Putin,” he said.
Speaking about Russian politicians, he said that in Russia, lawmakers do not interact with people. However, when he first contested elections in 2017, he decided to add an Indian political ‘tadka’ to the Russian elections.
“In Russia, MLAs and MPs do not stay in touch with the people. We brought a tadka of Indian politics to the Russian elections. We held many public meetings and interacted with the local people. In return, they ensured I won with record numbers,” he said.
According to a 2023 report in The Week, Kursk elected Singh as the “first Indian-origin lawmaker not once but twice”, in 2017 and 2022.
Singh also noted Russia’s growing openness to Indian skilled and semi-skilled workers, while claiming Western countries, especially the US, are tightening long-term stay opportunities for Indians.
“Russia is the largest country by area, while India leads in population. There are workforce challenges in Russia, where a significant gap exists in the availability of skilled technicians from entry-level to specialised qualified personnel suitable for lower and medium-level positions across industries,” he said.
“The shortage affects various sectors and skill tiers, and the need extends to both white-collar and blue-collar roles,” he added, urging Indians to explore opportunities there.