Build Your Team in India Without Setting Up a Local Entity
Access skilled technology professionals, optimise workforce costs, and expand your team in India with Akross Employer of Record (EOR) services.
Why hire in India? Many businesses choose it to access skilled professionals, build international teams and expand their operational capabilities. From technology and engineering to finance and business operations, companies can explore a diverse talent market to support their growth.
For international businesses, hiring in India is not just about finding talent at a different cost. It is about identifying the right skills, creating effective working relationships across time zones and choosing an employment model that supports long-term business objectives.
Akross helps international companies hire employees in India through Employer of Record (EOR) services, supporting local employment administration without requiring businesses to establish their own Indian legal entity first.
Whether you are considering your first employee in India or planning to expand an existing team, Akross can help you explore a practical approach to building your workforce.
Why Hire in India? 6 Reasons Companies Choose It
Choosing a hiring destination requires more than comparing salaries. Businesses need to consider talent availability, operating costs, collaboration, workforce flexibility and local employment requirements. India offers several factors worth evaluating when planning an international hiring strategy.
Access to a Diverse Professional Talent Pool
India has a broad professional workforce spanning technology, engineering, business services and specialist functions. Companies can explore candidates with different skill sets, experience levels and industry backgrounds to meet their recruitment requirements.
For technology-driven businesses, potential hiring areas include software development, cloud infrastructure, DevOps, cybersecurity, quality assurance, data engineering and IT support. Other businesses may consider professionals in finance, research, administration and business operations.
However, the right candidates will depend on the role, experience required, location and compensation offered.
- Explore candidates for specialist and technical positions.
- Build dedicated teams around defined business requirements.
- Recruit for individual roles or multiple functions as needs evolve.
- Access professionals who may support your existing international operations.
An Opportunity to Optimise Workforce Costs
Workforce costs are an important consideration when expanding into another country. Depending on the role and hiring location, India may offer a more cost-effective option than some higher-cost markets.
However, a meaningful comparison goes beyond base salary. Businesses should consider employer contributions, employee benefits, recruitment, equipment, administration and other employment-related expenses.
Therefore, a well-planned hiring strategy evaluates the overall cost of employment alongside the skills and business value a role is expected to deliver.
- Compare employment costs across potential hiring markets.
- Evaluate the budget required for specific positions.
- Allocate resources across product development, engineering and operations.
- Assess alternative ways to build your team without immediately establishing a local entity.
Akross can help you understand the employment cost components associated with hiring employees in India through an EOR arrangement.
Time-Zone Advantages for Global Collaboration
India Standard Time (IST) is UTC+5:30. Depending on where your existing team operates, this can provide opportunities for overlapping working hours, coordinated project handovers and collaboration across international locations.
Businesses in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia may find India suitable for certain distributed-team arrangements, although the amount of overlap varies by location and season.
For roles that require specific customer coverage or operational shifts, working hours should be planned around business requirements and applicable employment rules.
- Coordinate work across geographically distributed teams.
- Plan regular communication with international colleagues.
- Support project continuity through structured handovers.
- Establish working schedules aligned with operational needs.
The advantage comes from designing the right working arrangement for your business, rather than assuming that every time zone will offer the same level of overlap.
Overlap varies by location and season
Hiring Options Across Technology and Business Functions
India can be considered for a range of workforce requirements, from a single specialist hire to a dedicated team supporting an international operation.
Depending on your requirements and candidate availability, potential hiring areas include technology and software roles as well as business and operational functions.
Overall, a clear role definition, realistic compensation range and suitable recruitment strategy will help determine whether India meets your specific hiring needs.
Flexibility to Build Your Team Gradually
Expanding into a new market does not always require a large initial commitment. Some companies begin with one employee, while others need several specialists to support a project or business function.
Therefore, your hiring model should reflect your current requirements and expected growth.
An Employer of Record arrangement can offer a route to employing eligible workers in India without first establishing your own Indian legal entity. This may be useful when evaluating the market, recruiting an initial employee or expanding an existing international team.
With Akross, you can explore an India employment arrangement aligned with your current workforce needs and future plans.
As your business develops, you can reassess whether an EOR arrangement, your own Indian entity or another suitable structure best supports your long-term objectives.
A Local Employment Partner for Market Entry
Hiring internationally introduces responsibilities that may be unfamiliar to businesses without a local presence. These can include employment documentation, payroll, statutory administration, employee records and offboarding procedures.
Establishing a local entity is one way to manage employment in India, but it is not the only available route.
Through an agreed EOR arrangement, Akross acts as the local employer for eligible employees and manages the employment administration covered by the service agreement. Your business continues to direct employees' day-to-day work, project priorities and performance.
As a result, this model can help reduce the initial administrative burden associated with employing people in a new market.
However, it does not eliminate every legal, tax or regulatory consideration. The appropriate structure depends on your business activities, workforce requirements and wider obligations in India.
Akross
Local employer, as covered by the service agreement- Employment documentation
- Payroll
- Statutory administration
- Employee records
- Offboarding procedures
Your Business
Continues to direct the team- Day-to-day work
- Project priorities
- Performance
Is India the Right Choice for Your Business?
India may be worth considering if your business wants to access specialist talent, evaluate alternative workforce costs or build an international team. The right decision depends on what you need to achieve.
If you need specialist talent
Define the skills, experience and seniority required. Assess candidate availability, compensation expectations and the locations best suited to your roles.
If you want to optimise workforce costs
Compare total employment costs across potential markets, including salary, statutory contributions, benefits and administration. Evaluate cost alongside the quality and suitability of candidates.
If your teams operate across multiple time zones
Review working-hour overlap, communication requirements and project handovers before deciding how the India team will collaborate with your existing workforce.
If you want to test the market before making a larger commitment
An EOR arrangement may provide a practical option for eligible initial hires without requiring you to establish your own Indian employment entity first.
If you are planning a long-term presence in India
Consider your expected headcount, business activities, management structure and future expansion plans. These factors can help determine whether an EOR arrangement or a dedicated local entity is more appropriate.
Not every business will benefit from the same approach. A clear assessment of your requirements is the best starting point.
How Akross Helps You Hire Employees in India
Understanding the advantages of India is only the beginning. You also need a suitable employment arrangement to support your employees and business operations.
Akross provides India-focused Employer of Record services for international companies that want to employ people in India without first establishing their own Indian legal entity. Our services support the local employment administration associated with your workforce.
Employer of Record Services
Employ eligible employees in India through Akross's EOR arrangement, subject to the agreed scope of services and applicable requirements.
Employment Contracts and Onboarding
Coordinate employment documentation, joining formalities and employee records to support a structured onboarding process.
Payroll Administration
Support monthly payroll administration, salary documentation and applicable statutory payroll processes under the agreed arrangement.
Statutory Compliance Support
Support employment-related statutory administration and documentation in accordance with applicable requirements and the scope of the engagement.
Employee Benefits and Leave Administration
Coordinate agreed employee benefits, leave administration and related employment processes according to applicable requirements and employment terms.
Ongoing Employment Administration
Support employment-related administration throughout the employee lifecycle, including changes to employment arrangements and offboarding procedures.
With Akross managing the agreed local employment responsibilities, your business can focus on recruiting suitable people, setting priorities and managing day-to-day performance.
FAQs About Hiring Employees in India
Why do international companies hire in India?
Companies consider India for its diverse professional talent pool, technology capabilities, potential workforce cost advantages and opportunities to support international operations. Suitability depends on the skills required, business objectives and hiring budget.
Is hiring in India more cost-effective than hiring in the US or Europe?
India may offer lower employment costs for certain roles compared with some higher-cost markets. Actual costs vary by position, seniority, location and employment terms. Businesses should compare total employment costs rather than salary alone.
What types of employees can we hire in India?
Depending on your requirements and candidate availability, you can explore software developers, cloud and DevOps engineers, cybersecurity professionals, QA specialists, data professionals, finance staff, technical support employees and other eligible professionals.
How does India's time zone benefit international businesses?
India Standard Time is UTC+5:30. This can provide useful overlapping working hours with certain international markets, depending on location, season and employee schedules. Businesses should plan working arrangements around their actual collaboration and operational requirements.
Do we need to establish a company in India before hiring employees?
Not necessarily. An EOR arrangement may allow an eligible business to employ people in India through a local employment provider without first establishing its own Indian legal entity. The suitability of this approach depends on the employment arrangement and the company's wider activities in India.
What is an Employer of Record in India?
An Employer of Record is a provider that legally employs workers on behalf of another business under an agreed arrangement. The provider manages defined local employment responsibilities, while the client business generally directs the employee's day-to-day work.
Can we start with one employee and expand later?
An EOR arrangement can support an initial hire and may accommodate additional employees as business needs develop, subject to the provider's capabilities, role suitability and applicable requirements. Your long-term hiring structure can be reassessed as your workforce grows.
How long does it take to hire an employee in India through Akross?
Timelines depend on the role, candidate selection, compensation approval, documentation and onboarding requirements. Contact Akross with your proposed role and target start date to discuss the expected process.
Can we transfer employees to our own Indian entity in the future?
A future transition may be possible, but it requires appropriate planning. Employment contracts, employee consent where required, continuity of service, statutory obligations and other legal or operational considerations should be reviewed before a transition.
How do we get started with Akross?
Share your proposed roles, expected headcount, target start dates and business requirements. Akross can help you understand the EOR arrangement, review the employment administration involved and discuss the next steps.
Ready to Explore Hiring in India?
India may provide the skills, workforce options and operating flexibility your business needs. The next step is to determine whether the market and employment model align with your objectives.
Akross helps international businesses employ people in India through Employer of Record services covering agreed local employment administration, payroll processes, compliance support and employee lifecycle coordination.
Tell us about your hiring plans. Let's explore the right approach for building your team in India.