Employer of Record
Hire employees in India without an entity, in as little as 48 hours. We become the legal employer and handle payroll, taxes, PF, ESI and full compliance, while you direct the work.
Speed, compliance, confidence
Most EOR providers take 2 to 3 weeks. We get your hire compliant and contributing in under 48 hours.
We carry employment liability, including PF, ESI, gratuity and termination risk, while you keep control of your team.
Equipment, system access and onboarding done before your hire starts.
One flat monthly invoice with statutory contributions and compliance filing included.
Is EOR right for you?
No entity, PAN or local bank account needed. Hire your first India-based engineer in days.
Add headcount without adding compliance complexity or legal risk.
Validate India before you invest in a subsidiary.
Move from a fragmented payroll setup to one EOR partner.
EOR vs own entity
| What it takes | Your own Indian entity | StratEdge EOR |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first hire | Weeks to months: company incorporation, then PAN, TAN, GST, PF, ESI and state registrations | As fast as 48 hours |
| Local set-up | At least one director resident in India, a registered office and a local bank account | None. We are the legal employer |
| Ongoing compliance | Payroll, PF, ESI and TDS filings, statutory audit, annual company filings and transfer pricing | Included in the flat monthly fee |
| Labour Codes and policy updates | Your HR and legal team tracks every change, state by state | We update contracts, salary structures and payroll |
| Cost | Set-up fees plus accountants, lawyers, auditors and payroll software | From $349 per employee, per month |
| Exit | Winding up a company can take many months | Month to month, no lock-in |
An entity can make sense once you have a large, stable team in India. Until then, an EOR is usually faster and cheaper. Read our full EOR vs entity guide for India, or compare costs in the India EOR cost calculator.
EOR pricing
Three plans for different stages. All include payroll, compliance and a dedicated experience manager. See full EOR pricing, what’s included and our global cost calculator.
Most popular for startups
Essential EOR
$349 per employee / month
Best for in-office teams
EOR plus workspace
$549 per employee / month
Recruit, employ and retain
Premium EOR plus compliance
$749 per employee / month
Free checklist
Get the 12 questions to ask any EOR before you hire in India, so the quote you sign is the cost you pay.
No spam. One checklist and a few useful emails on hiring in India. Unsubscribe anytime.
How it works
Tell us the role, location and start date.
A locally compliant employment agreement within 24 hours.
Payroll, benefits and tools activated before day one.
You keep full operational control; we handle the employment layer.
Compare EOR providers
| What you get | Deel | Remote | Velocity Global | Multiplier | StratEdge Global |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onboarding speed | ~5–7 days | ~7–14 days | 2–4 weeks | ~3–7 days | As fast as 48 hours |
| Dedicated account manager | Enterprise only | Shared CSM | Enterprise tier | Shared support | Every client |
| Employee experience package | Compliance only | Compliance only | Compliance only | Basic benefits | Full engagement stack |
| Pricing | Tiered plans | Custom quotes | Custom quotes | Listed pricing | Flat, all-inclusive |
| Contract flexibility | Monthly plans | Monthly plans | Annual lock-in | Monthly plans | No lock-in |
| Advisory included | Billed extra | Not offered | Separate | Not standard | Included |
Based on publicly available information.
Free download
Real costs, a 48-hour hiring timeline, compliance essentials and checklists in one 10-page guide.
Hiring in India: guides
FAQ
Statutory benefits, payroll, IP, PE risk and termination.
Yes. With an Employer of Record, StratEdge Global becomes the legal employer in India. We issue a compliant employment contract, run payroll, deduct TDS and pay PF and ESI, while your hire works for you full time. You don’t need to register a company, open a local bank account or appoint a resident director.
For most companies hiring their first few people in India, an EOR is faster and cheaper: you can hire in as little as 48 hours for a flat fee from $349 per employee, per month, with no set-up costs or annual filings. Setting up your own entity can make sense once you have a large, stable team and want a long-term local presence.
Yes, we manage all of them. Indian employees are legally entitled to Provident Fund (PF) contributions at 12% of basic salary, Employee State Insurance (ESI) for employees earning under ₹21,000/month, Gratuity after 5 years of continuous service, and statutory paid leave. We calculate, file, and remit all of these on your behalf, with full monthly reporting.
Payroll is processed monthly in INR and disbursed directly to the employee’s bank account. You are invoiced in USD by our US entity on Net 10 payment terms — no deposit required. The employee receives a fully itemized payslip including all statutory deductions, TDS withholding, and net take-home amount.
You do. Our employment agreements include IP assignment clauses that transfer all work product, inventions, and deliverables created during employment to your company — drafted to be enforceable under Indian law.
PE risk arises when a foreign company’s activities in a country create a taxable presence. Our EOR structure prevents this — we are the employer of record, not you. Your team members are employed by us, reducing the nexus between your company and the Indian jurisdiction.
Termination in India must follow the Industrial Disputes Act and related state labor laws. We manage the entire process — notice periods, full and final settlement, gratuity calculation, and statutory compliance — to minimize your risk.
Yes. We operate across India and 15+ countries and can manage a multi-country workforce under a single master services agreement. Country-specific addenda cover local compliance requirements. One point of contact manages your entire global team.
No entity, no overhead, no lock-in. Get your first hire onboarded in days.
Or estimate your cost with our free EOR calculator.
